Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

Microsoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/agriculturalcollOOpennrich 


AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE 


OP 


PENNSYLVANIA; 


EMBRACING 


A  Succinct  History  of  Agricultural  Education  in  Europe  and  America,  to- 
gether with  the  circumstances  of  the  Origin,  Rise  and  Progress  of 
the  Agricultural  College  of  Pennsylvania;  as  also  a  State- 
ment of  the  Present  Condition,  Aims  and  Prospects 
of  this  Institution,  its  Course  of  Instruction, 
Facilities  for  Study,  Terms  of  Ad- 
mission, &c.  &c. 


DRAWN  UP  1JY  A  COMMITTEE 

APPOINTED  FOR  THIS  PURPOSE  BY  THE  BOARD  OF  TRUSTEES. 


ft 

1 


siiPYiianBia,  nn. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
WILLIAM  S.  YOUNG,  PRINTER,  NO.  52  NORTH  SIXTH  STREET.      £ 

1862.  « 

J£  Mi 


THE 


AGRICULTURAL 


OF 


PENNSYLVANIA; 


EMBRACING 


A  Succinct  History  of  Agricultural  Education  in  Europe  and  America,  to- 
gether with  the  circumstances  of  the  Origin,  Kise  and  Progress  of 
the  Agricultural  College  of  Pennsylvania;  as  also  a  State- 
ment of  the  Present  Condition,  Aims  and  Prospects 
of  this  Institution,  its  Course  of  Instruction, 
Facilities  for  Study,  Terms  of  Ad- 
mission, &c.  &c. 


DRAWN  UP  BY  A  COMMITTEE 

APPOINTED   FOR  THIS   PURPOSE   BY   THE   BOARD   OF   TRUSTEES. 


SSWSI0M1B,  48$ 


<-f^G2S&fo2&rK' 


PHILADELPHIA: 
WILLIAM  S.  YOUNG,  PRINTER,  NO.  52  NORTH  SIXTH  STREET. 

1862. 


•jgAJtl 


U* 


-    $>**£ 


OtFf. 


?  4-ft3 


-  • 


•    :    •  . 


CONTENTS. 


Historical. 

Agricultural  Education  in  Europe,       ....  5 

Thaer's  School,         ......  6 

Pestalozzi's  System  of  Combining  Manual  Labor  and  Study,  7 

Recent  Progress  of  Agricultural  Educational  Institutions,     .  8 

Agricultural  Education  in  America,                ...  9 

Agricultural  Education  in  New  York,               ...  9 

Michigan — Massachusetts— Maryland,         ...  11 

Iowa — ^Minnesota — Illinois — Ohio — Agricultural  Professorship,  12 

The  Agricultural  College  of  Pennsylvania,       .            .            .  13 

Agricultural  Societies  in  Pennsylvania,       .            .            .  13 

Pennsylvania  State  Agricultural  Society,         ...  13 

Origin  of  Agricultural  Education,                 ...  13 

Kind  of  Agricultural  Schools  Wanted,              .            .            .  14 

Origin  of  the  State  Agricultural  Society,                .            .  15 

An  Agricultural  School,            .....  16 

The  Farmers  High  School  of  Pennsylvania,            .            .  16 

Act  of  Incorporation,                 .            .            .            .            .  17 

Report  on  Plan-of  Organizing  a  School,      ...  18 

A  Call  for  Offers  of  a  Site  for  the  School,        .            .            .  19 

An  Offer  of  a  Site  by  Judge  Miles,               ...  20 

Meeting  of  the  Executive  Board,           .            .            .            .  23 

Organization  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,        ...  24 

Sites  Offered,                  .            ...            .            .            .  24 

Report  of  Committee  to  Examine  Sites,     ...  $5 

Final  Vote  on  the  Location  of  the  School,        ...  27 

Solicitation  of  aid  from  the  State,    ....  28 

Plans  for  College  Buildings,                  ....  28 

Contract  to  Erect  College  Buildings,            ...  28 

First  Annual  Meeting  of  Delegates,                   ...  28 

Appropriation  by  the  State  Legislature,     ...  29 

A  Large  Meeting  of  Delegates,              ....  30 

Financial  Difficulties,            .....  33 

Contractor  unable  to  fulfil  his  Contract,            ...  34 

Embarrassment  of  the  Board,          ....  oo 


320944 


17. 


CONTENTS. 


The  Agricultural  College  of  Pennsylvania. 

Prospect  of  Failure, 

Opening  School,        ... 
.      Faculty  for  1860,  .... 

Final  Appeal  to  the  State  Legislature, 

Completion  of  the  College  Buildings,. 

Change  of  Name,       ..... 

Object  op  the  Institution,     .... 

The  Collece  as  it  will  be  in  Operation  next  year,  1863, 
Buildings,  ...... 

Course  op  Studies,  ..... 

Course  for  Graduates,  .  .  .  . 

Auxiliaries  to  Study,      ..... 

The  Full  Course,  .... 

Partial  Scientific  and  Practical  Course, 
Practical  Course,  .... 

Special  Peculiarities  and  Advantages  of  the  Course, 

Conditions,  and  Form  of  Admission, 

Expenses,     ....... 

Location,  .  .  .  .  . 

Farming  Material,  ..... 

Reaping  Machines. 


36 
37 
38 
39 
42 
43 
45 
49 
49 
51 
52 
53 
55 
56 
56 
56 
58 
58 
59 
60 
60 


AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGES. . 


The  idea  of  educational  institutions  especially  devoted 
to  agriculture  and  the  industrial  arts,  is  of  comparatively 
modern  origin.  Among  ancient  authors  we  find  several 
very  respectable  attempts  to  lay  down  rules  for  agricultural 
practice,  but  the  writers  being  wholly  ignorant  of  science, 
were  unable  to  give  the  rationale  of  the  most  simple  facts 
in  agriculture;  and  hence  agricultural  schools  for  instruc- 
tion in  agricultural  principles  were  out  of  the  question. 

In  modern  times  the  interest  manifested  in  agricultural 
education  has  grown  with  the  development  of  modern 
science.  In  the  first  half  of  the  eighteenth  century  a 
number  of  works  upon  agriculture  appeared,  in  which  the 
few  faint  glimpses  of  experimental  science,  at  that  time 
known,  were  used  to  illuminate  agricultural  practice. 

AGRICULTURAL  EDUCATION  IN  EUROPE. 

As  early  as  1730,  Wallerius  was  engaged  in  chemico- 
agricultural  investigations  in  Sweden,  while  Jethro  Tull 
was  developing  his  system  of  practical  farming  in  England; 
and  in  17G1,  the  former  published  a  work  (Agricultural 
Fundamenta  Chemica)  in  which  he  sought  to  develop  a 
system  of  manuring  founded  on  the  examination  of  the 
ashes  of  plants.  Quesnay,  in  1747,  founded  the  Physio- 
cratic  School  in  France;  the  principal  object  of  which  was 
the  dissemination  of  agricultural  ideas.  A  little  later,  ag- 
ricultural societies  were  founded  in  Switzerland,  Saxony, 
and  Hanover;  and  as  the  interest  in  the  dissemination  of 
agriculture  increased,  agricultural  professorships  were  esta- 

2 


6  AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGES. 

blished  in  the  universities  of  Goettingen,  (1769,)  Giessen, 
Rostock,  and  Leipsic,  (1778;)  and  soon  after  this,  says  a 
recent  writer,*  agricultural  instruction  was  given  in  all 
the  High  Schools  of  the  country.  As  yet,  however,  no 
agricultural  schools  had  been  founded. 

thaer's  school. 

To  the  immortal  Thaer  is  due  the  honor  of  first  con- 
ceiving, and  attempting  to  carry  out,  the  idea  of  founding 
educational  institutions  especially  devoted  to  instruction  in 
agricultural  science  and  practice. f 

Not  only  did  Thaer  see  the  necessity  of  having  a  system 
of  education  developed  to  correspond  to  the  wants  of  the 
farmer,  but,  with  surprising  acuteness,  he  discerned  what 
should  constitute  the  general  principles  according  to  which 
this  system  should  be  built  up.  In  his  principles  of  agri- 
culture, (1809,)  after  dwelling  upon  the  necessity  of  a 
knowledge  of  Botany,  Zoology,  and  Chemistry,  and  other 
sciences,  to  an  intelligent  appreciation  of  agricultural  prac- 
tice, he  goes  on  to  remark,  that  "it  is  then  evident  that  agri- 
culture ought  to  borrow  from  every  science  the  principles  which 
she  employs  as  the  foundation  of  her  own"  With  these  ideas 
he  founded  his  agricultural  school.  An  English  traveller 
who  visited  it  in  1820,  says: — 

"It  comprised  a  model  farm  of  1200  acres,  and  a  college  for  in- 
struction. The  education  was  partly  theoretical,  and  partly  of  a 
practical  description.     The  former  was  provided  for  by  three  Pro- 

*  Dr.  Be"rnbaum  Lehrbuch  der  Landwirthscbaft.     Vol.  I.     P.  31. 

f  Albrecht  D.  Thaer  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  1752.  He  studied  at  the 
University  of  Goettingen  about  the  time  (1770)  that  Prof.  Walther  commenced  his 
course  of  lectures  on  agriculture  at  that  institution;  and  although  he  devoted  him- 
self, while  a  student,  to  the  study  of  medicine,  he  doubtless  saw  enough  of  the  dis- 
advantages of  attempting  agricultural  education  in  an  old  conservative  institution 
with  stereotyped  habits,  to  satisfy  him  that  a  course  of  instruction  so  radically  dif- 
ferent from  that  of  the  university,  as  that  of  scientific  and  practical  agriculture 
must  be,  could  only  be  carried  out  properly  in  a  new  order  of  institution  especially 
adapted  to  agricultural  science  and  practice.  About  1800  he  started  a  small  agri- 
cultural school  at  his  native  town,  Celle,  in  Hanover,  but  in  1803  it  was  broken  up 
by  the  invasion  of  the  French.  Soon  after,  at  the  urgent  solicitations  of  the  King 
of  Prussia.  (1804,)  he  went  to  Beilin  and  founded  the  Agricultural  School,  with 
model  farm,  (400  acres,)  at  Moeglin,  about  20  miles  from  the  Prussian  capital. 
The  disastrous  defeat  of  the  Prussian  army  at  Jena,  and  the  subsequent  occupation 
of  Berlin  by  Napoleon's  troops,  (1806,)  for  a  time  delayed  Thaer's  plans;  but,  in 
1807,  he  opened  his  school  with  10'  students,  and  after  the  peace  of  Tilset  he  had 
an  uninterrupted  success  with  his  school  and  farm  till  near  his  death  in  1828. 


AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGES.  / 

fessors,  who  lived  upon  the  premises ;  one  for  mathematics,  Chemis- 
try and  Geology ;  one  for  the  veterinary  art ;  and  the  third  for  Botany 
and  the  use  of  the  various  vegetable  productions  in  the  materia 
medica  as  well  as  for  entomology.  The  practical  instruction  was 
communicated  by  an  experienced  agriculturist,  who  pointed  out 
the  method  of  applying  the  principles  of  the  several  sciences,  to  the 
daily  routine  of  husbandry.  The  course  commenced  in  September. 
During'  the  winter  months  the  time  of  the  pupils  was  occupied  in  the 
study  of  mathematics,  and  the  six  books  of  Euclid  were  mastered  by 
them ;  whilst  in  the  summer  the  knowledge  thus  obtained  was 
applied  to  the  measurement  of  land,  timber,  buildings,  and  other 
practical  purposes.  The  first  principles  of  Chemistry  were  also  un- 
folded. By  means  of  a  good  but  economical  apparatus,  various  ex- 
periments either  on  a  large  or  small  scale  were  performed.  For 
the  larger  ones  the  brew-house  and  still-house  with  their  appendages 
were  found  to  be  highly  useful.  Much  attention  was  directed  to 
the  analysis  of  the  Soils,  and' the  different  sorts  met  with  distinguished 
according  to  the  relative  proportion  of  their  component  parts,  were 
arranged  on  the  shelves  with  great  order  and  regularity.  There 
was  an  extensive  botanic  garden,  arranged  according  to  the  system 
of  Linnaeus ;  an  herbarium,  containing  a  large  collection  of  dried 
plants;  a  series  of  the  skeletons  of  different  animals  connected 
with  husbandry;  and  models  of- agricultural  implements,  all  open  to 
the  examination  of  students.  The  various  .implements  used  upon 
the  farm  were  all  made  by  smiths,  wheelwrights,  &c,  residing  around 
about  the  institution;  and  the  pupils  were  allowed  access  to  the 
workshops  and  encouraged  to  make  themselves  masters  by  minutely 
inspecting  the  implements,  and  the  niceties  of  their  construction." 

Thaer's  school  demonstrated  the  necessity  of  such  insti- 
tutions, and  hence  a  number  of  similar  ones  sprung  up, 
under  liberal  government  patronage,  in  different  parts  of 
Germany;  as  that  of  Tharant,  near  Dresden,  (founded 
1811)  for  Sylviculture,  and  those  of  Hohenheim  in  Wurtem- 
burg,  (1818)  and  Weyhenstephen  in  Bavaria,  (1822)  for 
agriculture. 

PESTALOZZl's   SYSTEM   OF   COMBINING    MANUAL   LABOR   AND 

STUDY. 

While  Thaer  was  thus  developing  his  system  of  agricul- 
tural education  in  Germany,  Pestalozzi  (born  at  Zurich 
1745  and  died  1827)  was  laboring  in  Switzerland  to  build 
up  a  system  of  education  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor,  that 
would  combine  manual  with  mental  labor.     And  this  sysr 


8  AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGES. 

tem,  under  the  patronage  of  Fellenberg,  with  the  labor  of 
Wehrli,  was  inaugurated  at  Hofwyl,  near  Berne;  where, 
in  addition  to  a  school  for  the  poor,  was  also  one  for  the 
sons  of  gentlemen  of  wealth,  who  wished  to  study  agricul- 
tural science  and  practice ;  and  at  a  later  period  an  addi- 
tional department  for  the  education  of  teachers  was  estab- 
lished. After  the  death  of  Pestalozzi  and  Thaer  the  num- 
ber of  agricultural  schools  gradually  increased  in  Europe, 
till  about  the  year  1840.  The  system  of  Pestalozzi  (impro- 
perly called  the  Wehrli  system)  was  gradually  introduced, 
with  various  improvements  and  modifications  for  the  benefit 
of  the  poor,  and  that  of  Thaer  for  the  more  independent 
classes,  and  in  some  institutions  both  were  combined. 

RECENT  PROGRESS   OF  AGRICULTURAL  EDUCATIONAL  INSTI- 
TUTIONS. 

All  these  attempts  at  agricultural  instruction  were  very 
imperfect,  owing  to  the  very  undeveloped  state  of  agricul- 
tural science.  But  the  labors  of  De  Sausure,  Gay-Lussac, 
Thenard,  Lavoisier,  Sennebier,  Priestley,  Ingenhauss, 
Davy,  and  other  scientific  men,  were  preparing  the  way  for 
an  agricultural  science  which  in  the  length  and  breadth  of 
its  domain,  and  the  accuracy  of  its  result,  would  afford  am- 
ple material  for  thorough  mental  training  and  a  prolonged 
college  course. 

In  1840,  Liebig,  under  the  title  of  "  Chemistry  in  rela- 
tion to  Agriculture  and  Physiology,"  published  a  work  in 
which  was  exhibited  all  his  characteristic  power  of  pre- 
senting in  clear  and  forcible  language,  all  that  his  prede- 
cessors had  learned  in  regard  to  agricultural  science,  com- 
bined with  what  his  own  investigations  and  reflections  had 
taught  him.  This  work  astounded  the  reading  world;  it 
was  soon  translated  into  the  different  languages  of  all  cul- 
tivated people,  and  awakened  the  most  active  spirit  of  in- 
quiry in  the  minds  of  all  educated  men.  Hundreds  of 
scientific  and  practical  men,  in  Europe  and  America,  be- 
took themselves  to  experimentation  in  the  field  and  labo- 
ratory, to  test  the  correctness  of  Liebig's  views. 

While  in  many  cases  of  detail,  these  investigations  led 
to  the  modification  of  many  of  Liebig's  opinions,  in  the 


AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGES.  9 

main  they  were  found  to  be  correct,  and  the  necessity  for 
agricultural  schools  in  which  to  teach  the  newly  developed 
science  of  agriculture,  became  more  apparent  every  where, 
and  accordingly  we  find  that  the  number  of  such  schools 
has  been  increasing  with  surprising  rapidity  within  the 
last  twenty  years.  So  that  at  present  we  find  about  twenty 
High  Agricultural  Schools  or  Colleges  in  Germany  alone, 
three  in  France,  one  in  England,  one  in  Ireland,  one  in 
Holland,  and  in  addition  to  these,  several  hundred  ele- 
mentary agricultural  schools  for  the  peasantry,  and  a  large 
number  of  Professorships  of  Agriculture  in  the  different 
Universities  of  Europe.  Nearly  all  the  high  schools  and 
colleges  have  farms  attached,  and  extensive  means  in  the 
laboratory  and  field  to  experiment  in  agricultural  science 
and  practice. 

The  principal  part  of  them  are  supported,  in  part,  by 
state  patronage,  and  their  increasing  number  and  import- 
ance is  a  marked  indication  of  the  necessity  of  their  exist- 
ence. Even  in  Russia,  an  agricultural  school  was  founded 
near  St.  Petersburgh  about  twenty-four  years  ago,  at  which 
the  Emperor  educated  the  serfs  who  were  to  help  manage 
the  immense  estates  of  his  realm.  They  devoted  five  years 
to  labor  and  study  so  as  to  become  familiar  with  the  best 
methods  of  agricultural  practice,  and  then  were  sent  one  by 
one  to  different  parts  of  the  Empire  to  infuse  a  knowledge 
of  what  they  had  learned  into  the  minds  of  others;  about 
sixty  such  were  sent  out  annually;  since  this  time  other 
agricultural  schools  have  been  founded  in  that  country. 

It  was  hardly  possible  that  the  subject  of  agricultural 
education  should  have  occupied  so  prominent  a  place  in 
the  minds  of  European  agriculturists,  without  attracting  a 
corresponding  degree  of  interest  in  American  minds.  In- 
deed, before  any  of  the  great  modern  scientific  agricultural 
schools  of  Europe  were  founded,  the  necessity  for  the  pro- 
fessional education  of  young  farmers  was  proclaimed  from 
American  lips. 

AGRICULTURAL  EDUCATION  IN  NEW  YORK. 

As  early  as  1838,  the  Hon.  Jesse  Buell  was  pleading  the 


10  AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGES. 

cause  of  Agricultural  Education  in  New  York.  In  an 
address  prepared  for  delivery  before  the  Agricultural  and 
Horticultural  society  of  New  Haven,  Connecticut,  (a  short 
time  before  his  death)  September  25, 1839,  after  dwelling 
upon  the  fact,  that  we  have  schools  for  the  study  of  the 
sciences  of  medicine,  law,  engineering  and.  war,  and  de- 
claring that  for  agriculture,  by  which,  under  the  blessing  of 
Providence,  we  virtually  live  and  move  and  have  our  being, 
and  which  truly  embraces  a  wider  range  of  useful  science 
than  either  law,  medicine,  or  navigation,  we  have  no  means 
of  professional  education  at  all,  he  proceeds  to  point  out 
the  evil  consequences  of  this  absence  of  agricultural  schools, 
in  which  to  teach  the  principles  and  practice  of  agriculture, 
and  urges  upon  farmers  the  necessity  of  having  them  estab- 
lished, and  closes  his  appeal  with  the  prophetic  declara- 
tion, that  t(  many  who  now  hear  me  will  live  to  see  pro- 
fessional schools  established,  in  our  land;  to  see  their  utility 
extolled,  and  to  be  induced  to  consider  them  the  best  nurse- 
ries of  republican  virtues,  and  the  surest  guarantee  for  the 
perpetuation  of  our  liberties.  They  should  be  established, 
they  ivill  be  established,  and  the  sooner  they  are  established 
the  better  for  our  country."  (See  page  280,  The  Farmer's 
Companion  of  1840.)  From  1842  till  1846,  the  subject  of 
agricultural  education  was  discussed  by  prominent  citizens 
of  the  New  York  Agricultural  Society,  and  in  the  latter 
year  an  effort  was  made  to  induce  the  Legislature  to  take 
some  action  upon  the  subject. 

The  question  was  repeatedly  brought  before  the  Legisla- 
ture in  subsequent  years,  but  elicited  no  action  till  1853, 
when  a  bill  was  passed  incorporating  the  "  New  York  Agri- 
cultural College,"  but  providing  no  means  for  founding  it. 
In  1855  a  subscription  was  opened,  and  soon  after  an  act 
of  Legislature  passed,  loaning  the  college  $40,000  for  twenty 
years  without  interest,  provided  a  like  sum  be  raised  by 
private  subscriptions  for  the  purchasing  of  a  farm,  erecting 
of  College  buildings,  &c,  &c.  Soon  afterwards  a  farm  was 
secured  of  700  acres,  between  the  village  of  Ovid  and  the 
eastern  shore  of  Seneca  Lake.  A  large  college  building 
was  laid  out  and  a  part  of  it  finished  so  as  to  admit  150 
students.     The  college  was  open  for  students  on  the  first 


AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGES.  11 

day  of  December,  1860,  but  it  did  not  survive  the  general  de- 
pression produced  by  the  war,  and  at  present  its  doors  are 
closed. 

The  People's  College,  which  was  also  designed  to  be,  in 
part,  agricultural  in  character,  was  incorporated  in  1853 
by  an  act  of  Legislature,  and  subsequently  located  upon 
a  tract  of  200  acres  of  land  in  Schuyler  county,  New 
York.  The  buildings  of  this  college  have  been  partially 
completed,  but  it  is  not  yet  in  successful  operation. 

MICHIGAN. 

The  State  of  Michigan  has  a  clause  in  her  constitution 
(adopted  1850)  providing  for  an  Agricultural  College,  in 
accordance  with  which,  in  1855,  the  Legislature  appro- 
priated $50,000,  with  which  a  tract  of  700  acres  of  land 
was  purchased,  near  Lansing,  and  buildings  erected  upon 
it  for  an  Agricultural  College.  In  1857  an  additional 
$40,000  was  appropriated  to  the  College,  and  in  the  follow- 
ing May,  students  were  admitted.  To  Michigan  belongs 
the  honor  of  thus  having  put  the  first  State  Agricultural 
College  in  the  United  States  in  operation,  but  for  some 
cause  this  College  has  been  obliged  to  suspend  operation. 

MASSACHUSETTS. 

The  Massachusetts  Legislature,  as  early  as  1850,  appoint- 
ed committees  to  investigate  the  subject  of  Agricultural 
education,  and  in  1856  incorporated  a  "  school  of  agricul- 
ture," and  the  question  is  still  under  consideration  by  pro- 
minent citizens  of  the  state,  but  as  yet,  the  school  has 
not  been  founded. 

MARYLAND. 

The  Maryland  Agricultural  College  was  incorporated  in 
the  winter  of  1856,  and  soon  after  located  upon  the  home- 
stead of  the  Hon.  Charles  B.  Calvert,  upon  a  farm  of  400 
acres,  ten  miles  north  of  Washington  City;  the  act  pro- 
vided for  an  annual  appropriation  of  $6,000,  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  college,  provided  the  sum  of  $50,000  was  first 
received  by  subscription;  this  amount  being  received,  the 
college  was  partially  completed  and  opened  for  students  in 
1860,  and  has  been  in  successful  operation  since  that  time.  It 
differs  from  the  Agricultural  College  of  Pennsylvania,  in  its 


12  AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGES. 

course  of  instruction,  being  more  nearly  allied  to  that  of 
ordinary  literary  colleges,  and  consequently  having  a  less 
scientific  course,  and  in  its  not  requiring  manual  labor 
of  each  student  upon  the  farm. 

IOWA. 

The  Iowa  State  Agricultural  College  and  Farm  was  incor- 
porated in  March,  1858,  and  some  provisions  were  made 
for  the  erection  of  college  buildings,  but  the  disturbed  state 
of  the  country  has  for  some  time  suspended  operations  there. 

MINNESOTA. 

The  Minnesota  Agricultural  College  was  incorporated  in 
1858,  and  located  on  a  farm  of  320  acres  in  Glen  County, 
but  the  buildings  for  a  college  have  not  yet  been  erected. 

ILLINOIS. 

The  agitation  in  favor  of  Agricultural  Colleges  in  Illinois 
was  commenced  early  by  public-spirited  men,  and  as  early 
as  1852  the  Legislature  was  memorialized  upon  the  sub- 
ject. Repeated  efforts  have  been  made  by  the  friends  of 
agriculture  in  the  state,  to  induce  the  Legislature  to  found 
an  Agricultural  College,  yet  nothing  has  been  done  by  the 
state.  But  private  enterprise  has  succeeded  in  establish- 
ing the  embryo  of  an  agricultural  college  near  Chicago, 
though  it  is  languishing  for  that  aid  which  every  enlight- 
ened state  should  confer  upon  agricultural  education. 

OHIO. 

The  State  of  Ohio  has  had  the  subject  of  agricultural 
education  before  its  Legislature  at  different  times,  but 
nothing  tangible  has,  so  far  as  we  know,  resulted  from  its 
action.  A  Farmers'  College,  with  a  few  acres  of  land,  has 
been  established  by  private  enterprise  near  Cincinnati,  but 
its  course  of  instruction  does  not  differ  essentially  from 
that  of  an  ordinary  literary  college. 

AGRICULTURAL    PROFESSORSHIP. 

In  several  of  the  Colleges  and  Universities  of  the  United 
States,  Agricultural  Chairs  have  been  established. 


AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGES.  13 

In  the  preceding  brief  synopsis  we  have  not  mentioned 
the  names  of  the  many  public-spirited  and  liberal-minded 
men,  by  whose  disinterested  efforts  all  these  attempts  to 
found  agricultural  institutions  of  learning  have  been  made. 

It  was  sufficient  for  the  purposes  of  this  paper  to  briefly 
note  what  they  have  done,  and  leave  their  names  to  history, 
which  will  yet  tell  their  deeds  to  unborn  grateful  millions, 
who,  in  future  generations,  will  enjoy  the  blessings  of  agri- 
cultural education  in  institutions  originating  in  their  un- 
rewarded and  unappreciated  efforts.  We  now  come  to  that 
which  more  nearly  concerns  us  in  the  present  history. 

©to  g^tmtftot  Allege  #f  §mn$\pmm. 

This  Institution,  though  about  the  first  that  was  founded 
in  the  country,  is  still  hardly  old  enough  to  constitute  a 
subject  for  a  history ;  but  as  many  questions  are  often 
asked  in  regard  to  its  origin,  it  is  deemed  proper  to  devote 
a  few  pages  here  to  this  subject. 

AGRICULTURAL  SOCIETIES  IN  PENNSYLVANIA. 

The  State  of  Pennsylvania  was  one  of  the  first  in  the 
Union  to  adopt  measures  for  the  diffusion  of  agricultural 
intelligence.  As  early  as  1785  the  Philadelphia  Agricul- 
tural Society  was  founded,  and  its  members  met  regularly 
for  a  number  of  years.  In  1823,  the  Pennsylvania  Agri- 
cultural Society  including  the  counties  of  Philadelphia, 
Chester,  Montgomery,  and  Delaware,  was  founded.  This 
Society  held  some  fairs  during  its  existence. 

PENNSYLVANIA   STATE  AGRICULTURAL   SOCIETY. 

In  1851,  the  present  Pennsylvania  State  Agricultural 
Society  was  organized,  under  the  auspices  of  which  the 
Farmers'  High  School  of  Pennsylvania  (now  the  Agri- 
cultural College  of  Pennsylvania)  originated.  As  already 
intimated,  the  primary  idea  of  Educational  Institutions, 
especially  devoted  to  instruction  in  agriculture,  and  the 
industrial  arts,  was  of  much  earlier  origin. 

ORIGIN   OF  AGRICULTURAL  EDUCATION. 

It  was  a  legitimate  consequence  of  the  progress  of  modern 


14  AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGES. 

science  and  its  important  bearings  upon  the  practical 
operations  of  life,  together  with  the  general  diffusion  of 
knowledge  among  all  classes,  by  which  the  purely  sci- 
entific and  purely  practical  man  were  brought  into  con- 
tact with  each  other. 

The  necessity  for  Agricultural  Schools  was  apparent  to 
any  one  at  all  acquainted  with  the  resources  of  science, 
or  the  demands  of  Agricultural  practice. 

The  importance  of  Agricultural  Education  being  recog- 
nised, the  only  question  at  issue,  related  to  the  manner  in 
which  a  system  of  Agricultural  Education  should  be  in- 
augurated. 

KIND   OF   AGRICULTURAL   SCHOOLS   WANTED. 

Did  the  Agricultural  interest  demand  a  course  of  in- 
struction as  extensive  as  that  of  our  ordinary  Colleges, 
obliging  the  student  to  devote  three  to  five  years  to  the  study 
of  those  sciences  which  relate  to  agricultural  and  the  in- 
dustrial arts,  as  in  the  highest  Agricultural  Institutions  in 
Europe,  or  did  it  demand  only  an  elementary  course,  such 
as  is  there  given  in  their  schools  for  Farm  Bailiffs,  who 
are  not  supposed  to  have  the  tastes  and  aspirations  of 
those  whom  they  technically  term  gentlemen? 

Was  it  desirable  that  the  farmer  should  have  such  a 
knowledge  of  agricultural  science,  as  would  enable  him  to 
investigate  and  develop  agricultural  principles,  or  was  it 
simply  desirable  to  teach  him  to  practise  those  rules, 
which  others  deduced  for  him  from  principles  he  could 
not  understand?  Was  it  desirable  that  one  large  Agri- 
cultural Institution  be  founded  in  a  State,  capable  of  em- 
ploying a  sufficient  number  of  professors  to  admit  of  a 
proper  division  of  labor  amongst  them,  and  consequently 
enable  them  to  afford  a  thorough  and  efficient  course  of 
instruction,  in  order  to  educate  a  few  students  to  a  high 
standard?  or  was  it  better  to  have  several  smaller  local 
Institutions  capable  of  giving  only  a  popular  smattering  to 
a  larger  number  of  students?  These  questions  were  can- 
vassed by  various  parties,  and  the  several  different  plans 
they  refer  to,  proposed  by  different  individuals,  but  with- 
out any  one  being  accompanied  with  sufficient  evidence  in 


AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGES.  15 

its  favor,  to  leave  no  doubt  of  its  being  the  best  system. 
But  the  time  had  come  for  trying  the  experiment. 

A  number  of  prominent  men  in  Pennsylvania  had  been 
thinking  upon  the  necessity  of  Agricultural  Education 
for  several  years.  An  Agricultural  Institution  of  learn- 
ing, adapted  to  the  wants  of  the  farmer,  had  been  a  favor- 
ite idea  with  the  present  worthy  President  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees  of  the  Agricultural  College  of  Pennsylva- 
nia for  twenty  years  before  this  Institution  was  founded; 
but  the  pressing  duties  of  public  life  prevented  him  from 
devoting  time  to  the  advocacy  of  these  views  till,  in  1853, 
the  subject  was  brought  before  the  Pennsylvania  State 
Agricultural  Society. 

ORIGIN   OF   THE   STATE   AGRICULTURAL   SOCIETY. 

This  Society  originated  in  a  call,  dated  May  15,  1850, 
for  an  Agricultural  Convention  to  be  held  at  Harrisburg, 
on  the  21st  of  January,  1851.  It  was  signed  by  James 
Gowen,  Dr.  Elwyn,  Samuel  C.  Ford,  Algernon  S.  Roberts 
and  J.  P.  Wetherill. 

This  Convention  was  attended  by  delegates  from  55 
counties  of  the  State;  after  having  organized,  a  committee 
was  appointed  to  memorialize  the  Legislature  for  a  charter. 
The  Hon.  Fred.  Watts  was  appointed  Chairman,  and 
Dr.  A.  Elwyn,  Secretary  for  the  year. 

Upon  the  last  three  days  of  the  following  October,  the 
first  annual  fair  of  the  Society  was  held  at  Harrisburg: 
About  20,000  persons  are  supposed  to  have  been  present, 
and  the  first  annual  meeting  of  the  Society  was  held  at 
the  same  place,  on  the  20th  of  the  following  January, 
(1852.) 

The  President,  and  Secretary,  and  Vice  Presidents  of 
the  preceding  year,  were  re-elected. 

The  second  annual  exhibition  was  held  on  the  20th, 
21st,  and  22d  of  October,  at  Lancaster,  and  proved  to  be 
an  entire  and  unprecedented  success,  and  the  report  of  pre- 
miums awarded  by  the  Judges,  was  embodied  in  the  first 
annual  report  of  the  Society,  presented  by  the  President 
to  Governor  Bigler,  January  20th,  1854. 

The  second  annual  meeting   convened   January  18th, 


16  AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGES. 

1853*,  a*  Harrisburg.  At  this  meeting,  Messrs.  Frederick 
Watts,  James  H.  Ewing  and  H.  N.  McAllister,  were  ap- 
pointed members  of  a  Board  of  Agriculture,  in  pursuance 
of  a  provision  of  the  United  States  Agricultural  Society, 
establishing  such  a  Board;  also,  the  following  gentlemen 
presented  a  report  upon  the  subject  of  an  Agricultural 
School,  A.  S.  Koberts,  T.  C.  Carothers,  I.  Koenigmacher, 
A.  0.  Hiester,  D.  Mellinger. 

AN   AGRICULTURAL   SCHOOL. 

The  members  of  this  Committee  state  that  they  believe 
the  present  to  be  an  auspicious  time  for  founding  an  Agri- 
cultural School;  that  the  advantages  to  be  derived  from 
it,  are  too  obvious  to  require  demonstration,  and  that  to 
inaugurate  the  movement,  they  recommend  the  calling 
of  a  general  convention  of  Delegates  from  all  parts  of 
the  State,  to  meet  at  Harrisburg,  to  consider  this  subject; 
whereupon  it  was  resolved 

"  That  an  Agricultural  Convention  he  held  at  Harris- 
burg, on  Tuesday,  the  8th  of  March  next,  to  adopt  measures 
for  the  establishment  of  an  Agricultural  Institution,  to  be 
styled,  '  Ihe  Farmers  High  School  of  Pennsylvania, y  with 
a  model  farm  attached  thereto,  and  that  the  convention  con- 
sists of  as  many  delegates  from  each  district,  as  there  are 
Senators  and  Legislators  from  the  same:  said  delegates  to  be 
chosen  by  the  Agricultural  Societies  where  such  are  located, 
and  in  other  districts  by  the  friends  of  Agricultural  Edu- 
cation." 

THE   FARMERS   HIGH   SCHOOL   OF   PENNSYLVANIA. 

This  convention  met  and,  in  the  language  of  the  Hon. 
Frederick  Watts,  in  a  letter  afterwards  addressed  to  Go- 
vernor Bigler,  "  with  an  unparalleled  unanimity  recom- 
mended the  establishment  of  a  school  for  the  education 
of  Farmers,  and  gave  the  subject  in  charge  to  a  committee 
to  have  it  enacted  into  a  law,  and  carried  into  effect." 

This  letter,  which  Judge  Watts,  as  President  of  the 
State  Agricultural  Society,  addressed  to  Governor  Bigler 
on  the  occasion  of  his  presenting  the  first  copy  of  the 
annual  report  of  that  Society,  is  devoted  mainly  to  the 
consideration  of  the  proposed  Agricultural  School. 


AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGES.  17 

The  advantages  of  such  a  school  to  the  farmer,  are 
pointed  out  with  the  characteristic  force  and  perspicuity 
of  the  author,  and  a  plan  for  its  organization,  together 
with  the  probable  expenses  of  founding  and  maintaining 
it,  is  given. 

In  accordance  with  the  decision  of  that  committee,  the 
next  Legislature  was  applied  to  for  an  Act  of  Incorpora- 
tion, which  was  granted  and  approved,  April  13th,  1854. 

ACT  OF  INCORPORATION, 

This  act  states  that  "the  Institution  shall  be  called  the 
Farmers  High  School  of  Pennsylvania,  and  shall  be 
under  the  control  of  a  Board  of  Trustees,  composed  of  the 
Presidents  of  the  County  Agricultural  Societies,  and  the 
President  and  Yice  President  of  the  State  Agricultural 
Society,  thirteen  of  whom  shall  constitute  a  quorum.  They 
are  directed  to  meet  at  Harrisburg,  on  the  2d  Thursday 
of  June  after  the  passage  of  this  act,  and  to  organize  and 
select  a  site,  and  erect  buildings  for  an  Institution,  and 
procure  a  good  practical  farmer  for  its  principal,  who, 
with  such  other  persons,  as  shall  from  time  to  time  be  em- 
ployed as  teachers,  shall  compose  the  faculty." 

The  teachers  are  to  be  capable  of  imparting  a  know- 
ledge of  the  English  Language,  Grammar,  Geography, 
History,  Mathematics,  and  such  other  branches  of  the 
natural  and  applied  sciences,  as  would  conduce  to  the 
proper  education  of  a  farmer.  And  the  students  should 
be  required  to  perform  a  certain  amount  of  manual  labor 
daily. 

It  was  also  made  lawful  for  the  State  Agricultural  So- 
ciety to  donate,  out  of  its  funds,  for  the  purpose  of  the 
act,  the  sum  of  $10,000. 

It  is  obvious  that  this  act  contemplated  an  Institution 
for  a  very  elementary  course  of  scientific  and  literary  in- 
struction, combined  with  instruction  in  practical  agricul- 
ture; but  its  most  remarkable  feature  was  the  provision 
for  the  control  of  the  Institution. 

It  requires  but  little  reflection  to  see  that  a  responsi- 
bility so  divided  as  that  devolving  upon  the  trustees  de- 
signated in  this  act,  would  be  felt  by  no  one. 


18  AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGES. 

FIRST   MEETING   OF   THE   BOARD   OF    TRUSTEES. 

But  in  conformity  with  the  provisions  of  the  act,  a  few 
of  the  persons  designated  therein  as  trustees,  met  at  Harris- 
burg,  on  the  13th  of  June,  1854,  to  consider  its  provi- 
sions, when  it  was  found  that  a  quorum  of  members  was 
not  present. 

On  motion  of  the  Hon.  George  W.  Woodward,  it  was 

Resolved,  That  Messrs.  Frederick  Watts,  James  Gowen, 
and  John  Strohm,  be  appointed  a  committee  to  report  a 
plan  of  organization  to  the  next  meeting  of  the  Board,  to 
be  held  on  the  13th  of  July  following,  at  Harrisburg. 

At  this  adjourned  meeting,  only  Messrs.  Watts  of  Cum- 
berland, Mumma  and  Rutherford  of  Dauphin,  Mcllvaine 
of  Chester,  Boal  of  Centre,  and  Baxter  of  Philadelphia, 
were  present. 

REPORT   ON   PLAN   OF   ORGANIZING   A   SCHOOL. 

In  behalf  of  the  committee  to  whom  was  referred  the 
subject  of  a  plan  of  organization  for  the  Farmers'  High 
School  of  Pennsylvania,  the  Hon.  Frederick  Watts  re- 
ported that  the  committee  are  of  opinion,  that  no  good 
can  result  from  any  effort  to  organize  under  the  existing 
law,  that  it  provides  for  too  many  trustees  (50  or  60) — 
that  these  are  liable  to  be  created  or  removed  by  causes 
entirely  independent  of  the  interest  of  the  school,  and 
they  recommend  that  the  Board  shall  consist  of  not  more 
than  13  in  number,  of  whom  9  shall  be  elected,  and  4 
ex-officio  members.  The  committee  further  state  that  the 
bill  is  defective  in  view  of  its  making  no  appropriation  in 
aid  of  the  object  to  be  attained  by  it,  and  they  go  on  to  say 
that  "  There  are  many  public-spirited  men  who  believe 
"  that  the  establishment  of  such  a  school  where  boys  may 
"be  educated  as  farmers,  is  of  more  importance  than  any 
"  design  which  could  occupy  public  attention.  It  is  afact 
"  universally  known,  that  the  literary  institutions  of  this 
"country,  as  at  present  constituted,  educate  young  men 
"  to  a  state  of  total  unfitness,  not  only  for  the  pursuit  of 
"  a  former,  but  as  a  companion  for  his  parents,  brothers 
"  and  sisters,  with  whom  he  is  expected  to  spend  his  life. 
"  He  is  therefore  driven  from  his  father's  estate,  and  into 


AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGES.  19 

"  a  profession  for  which  he  has  perhaps  little  capacity, 
"  and  where  he  is  subjected  to  all  the  temptations  of  an 
"  idle  life.  Whereas,  the  Farm  School  proposes  to  impart 
"an  education  which  is  appropriate  to  a  farmer,  which 
"  educates  his  body  to  the  art,  as  well  as  his  mind  to  the 
"  science  of  farming,  and  which  will  have  the  feature  of 
"making  the  Institution  so  nearly  self-sustaining,  as  to 
"  bring  education,  in  point  of  expense,  within  the  reach  of 
"every  man  who  desires  to  make  his  son  an  educated 
"  farmer." 

The  probable  expense  of  founding  and  sustaining  such 
a  school  is  then  given,  and  the  necessity  of  founding  it 
still  further  dwelt  upon. 

Whereupon,  it  was 

Resolved,  That  the  report  be  referred  to  Frederick  Watts, 
George  W.  Woodward,  and  A.  L.  Elwyn,  whose  duty  it 
should  be  to  address  the  people  of  the  State  upon  the  sub- 
ject, and  to  apply  to  the  next  Legislature  to  amend  the 
bill  as  indicated  in  the  report,  and  that  said  committee 
make  all  necessary  inquiries  where  the  Farmers  High 
School  of  Pennsylvania  may  be  most  advantageously  lo- 
cated, and  that  they  invite  propositions  from  all  parts  of 
the  State,  for  its  locality. 

A   CALL   FOR   OFFERS   OF   A   SITE   FOR   THE   SCHOOL. 

The  committee  published  an  address,  July  21st,  1854, 
to  the  people  of  Pennsylvania,  setting  forth  the  claims  of 
the  school,  and  its  advantages  to  farmers,  and  the  prospect 
of  its  soon  being  located,  and  tbey  called  upon  persons  for 
offers  of  inducements  to  locate  it  in  specified  localities. 

At  the  fourth  annual  meeting  of  the  State  Agricultural 
Society,  convened  at  Harrisburg,  January  16th,  1855,  a 
resolution  was  passed  expressive  of  the  deep  interest  felt 
by  the  State  Agricultural  Society  of  Pennsylvania  in  the 
Farmers'  High  School  of  Pennsylvania,  and  praying  the 
Legislature,  then  in  session,  to  make  such  change  in  the 
Act  of  Incorporation  of  the  Farmers'  High  School,  as 
would  secure  its  establishment. 

At  this  meeting,  the  following  communication  was  re- 
ceived, which,  because  of  the  liberality  of  the  donor,  and 


20  AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGES. 

of  its  being  the  first  of  its  kind  received,  deserves  a  place 
here. 

AN   OFFER   OF   A   SITE   BY  JUDGE   MILES. 

Gentlemen: — Believing  the  Agricultural  interests  of  our 
State  may  be  greatly  and  eminently  promoted  by  the  early 
establishment  of  the  Farmers'  High  School  of  Pennsylva- 
nia, where  a  thorough,  practical  and  scientific  education 
may  be  acquired  by  the  youth  of  our  State  who  desire  to 
make  the  tillage  of  the  soil  the  business  of  their  lives,  I 
beg  to  make  known  to  you,  and  through  you  to  the  gen- 
tlemen who  are,  or  may  be  appointed  trustees  of  the  Far- 
mers' High  School  of  Pennsylvania,  that  I  will  give  to  the 
Institution,  two  hundred  acres  of  land,  situated  in  Girard 
Township,  Erie  County,  provided  said  School  be  located 
on  said  land. 

Yours  truly,  James  Miles. 

Subsequent  to  this,  the  Legislature  passed  the  following 
Act  of  Incorporation  of  the  Farmers'  High  School  of 
Pennsylvania. 

An  Act  to  Incorporate  "The  Farmers'  High  School  of  Penn- 
sylvania : " 

Sec.  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives of  the  Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania,  in  General  As- 
sembly met,  and  it  is  hereby  enacted  by  the  authority  of  the 
same,  That  there  be  and  is  hereby  erected  and  established,  at  the 
place  which  shall  be  designated  by  the  authority,  and  as  herein- 
after provided,  an  Institution  for  the  education  of  youth  in  the 
various  branches  of  science,  learning  and  practical  agriculture,  as 
they  are  connected  with  each  other,  by  the  name,  style  and  title  of 
"  The  Farmers'  High  School  of  Pennsylvania." 

Sec.  2.  That  the  said  Institution  shall  be  under  the  manage- 
ment and  government  of  a  Board  of  Trustees,  of  whom  there  shall 
be  thirteen,  and  seven  of  whom  shall  be  a  quorum,  competent  to 
perform  the  duties  hereinafter  authorized  and  required. 

Sec  3.  That  the  Governor,  Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth, 
the  President  of  the  Pennsylvania  State  Agricultural  Society, 
and  the  Principal  of  the  Institution,  shall  each  be  ex-officio  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and  they  with  Dr.  Alfred  L.  El- 
wyn,  and  Algernon  S.  Roberts  of  the  City  of  Philadelphia,  H.  N. 


OF   PENNSYLVANIA.  21 

McAllister,  of  the  County  of  Centre,  R.  C.  Walker,  of  the  County 
of  Allegheny,  James  Miles,  of  the  County  of  Erie,  John  Strohra, 
of  the  County  of  Lancaster,  A.  0.  Hiester,  of  the  County  of  Dau- 
phin, William  Jessup,  of  the  County  of  Susquehanna,  and  Frede- 
rick Watts,  of  the  County  of  Cumberland,  shall  constitute  the  first 
Board  of  Trustees;  which  said  Trustees,  and  their  successors  in 
office,  are  hereby  erected  and  declared  to  be  a  body  politic  and  cor- 
porate in  law,  with  perpetual  succession,  by  the  name,  style  and 
title  of  the  Farmers  High  School  of  Pennsylvania ;  by  which  name 
and  title  the  said  Trustees,  and  their  successors,  shall  be  able  and 
capable  in  law  to  take  by  gift,  grant,  sale  or  conveyance,  by  be- 
quest, devise  or  otherwise,  any  estate  in  any  lands,  tenements  and 
hereditaments,  goods,  chattels  or  effects,  and  at  pleasure  to  alien 
or  otherwise  dispose  of  the  same  to  and  for  the  uses  and  purposes 
of  the  said  Institution:  Provided,  however,  That  the  annual  in- 
come of  the  said  estate,  so  held,  shall  at  no  time  exceed  twenty-five 
thousand  dollars;  and  the  said  Corporation  shall  by  the  same 
name,  have  power  to  sue  and  be  sued,  and  generally  to  do  and 
transact  all  and  every  business  touching  or  concerning  the  premi- 
ses, or  which  shall  be  necessarily  incidental  thereto,  and  to  hold, 
enjoy  and  exercise  all  such  powers,  authorities  and  jurisdiction  as 
are  customary  in  the  Colleges  within  this  Commonwealth. 

Sec.  4.  That  the  Trustees  shall  cause  to  be  made  a  seal,  with 
such  device  as  they  may  think  proper,  and  by  and  with  which  all 
the  deeds  and  diplomas,  certificates  and  acts  of  the  Institution  shall 
be  authenticated,  and  they  may,  at  their  pleasure,  alter  the  same. 

Sec.  5.  That  at  the  first  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  the 
nine  named  who  are  not  ex-officio  members,  shall  by  themselves 
and  by  lot,  be  divided  into  three  classes,  of  three  each,  numbered 
one,  two  and  three.  The  appointment  hereby  made  of  class  number 
one,  shall  terminate  on  the  first  Monday  of  October,  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  fifty-six,  number  two  on  the  first  Monday  of 
October,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  fifty-seven,  and  number 
three  on  the  first  Monday  of  October,  one  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  fifty-eight;  and  upon  the  termination  of  the  office  of  such 
Directors,  to  wit :  on  the  first  Monday  of  October  in  every  year, 
an  election  shall  be  held  at  the  Institution  to  supply  their  place, 
and  such  election  shall  be  determined  by  the  votes  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Pennsylvania  State  Agri- 
cultural Society,  and  the  votes  of  three  representatives  duly  chosen 
by  each  County  Agricultural  Society  in  this  Commonwealth,  which 
shall  have  been  organized  at  least  three  months  preceding  the 
time  of  election ;  and  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  (said  Board  of 
Trustees  to  appoint  two  of  their  number  as  judges,  to  hold  the  said 
©lection,  to  receive  and  count  the  votes,  and  return  the  same  to  the 


22  AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGE 

Board  of  Trustees,  with  their  certificate  of  the  number  of  votes 
cast,  and  for  whom ;  whereupon  the  said  Board  shall  determine  who 
have  received  the  highest  number  of  votes  cast,  and  who  are 
thereby  elected. 

Sec.  6.  That  on  the  second  Thursday  of  June,  after  the  pas- 
sage of  this  act,  the  Board  of  Trustees  who  are  hereby  appointed, 
shall  meet  in  Harrisburg,  and  proceed  to  the  organization  of  the 
institution,  and  selection  of  the  most  eligible  site  within  the  Com- 
monwealth of  Pennsylvania  for  its  location,  where  they  shall  pur- 
chase or  obtain  by  gift,  grant  or  otherwise,  a  tract  of  land  con- 
taining at  least  two  hundred  acres,  and  not  exceeding  two  thousand 
acres,  upon  which  they  shall  procure  such  improvements  and 
alterations  to  be  made,  as  will  make  it  an  Institution  properly 
adapted  to  the  instruction  of  youth,  in  the  art  of  farming,  accord- 
ing to  the  meaning  and  design  of  this  act;  they  shall  select  and 
choose  a  Principal  for  the  said  Institution,  who  with  such  scientific 
attainment  and  capacity  to  teach  as  the  Board  shall  deem  necessary, 
shall  be  a  good  practical  farmer ;  he  with  such  other  persons  as  shall 
from  time  to  time  be  employed  as  teachers,  shall  compose  the  faculty, 
under  whose  control  the  immediate  management  of  the  Institution, 
and  the  instruction  of  all  the  youth  committed  to  its  care,  shall  be 
subject,  however,  to  the  revision  and  all  orders  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees ;  there  shall  be  a  quarterly  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trus- 
tees at  the  Institution,  and  as  much  oftener  as  shall  be  necessary, 
and  as  they  shall  determine ;  the  Board  shall  have  power  to  pass  all 
such  By-Laws,  ordinances  and  rules  as  the  good  government  of 
the  Institution  shall  require,  and  therein  to  prescribe  what  shall 
be  taught  to,  and  what  labor  performed  by  the  pupils,  and  gene- 
rally to  do  and  perform  all  such  administrative  acts  as  are  usually 
performed  by  and  with  the  appropriate  duty  of  a  Board  of  Trus- 
tees, and  shall,  by  a  Secretary  of  their  appointment,  keep  a  minute 
of  the  proceedings  and  action  of  the  Board. 

Sec.  7.  That  it  snail  be  the  duty  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  as 
soon  and  as  often  as  the  exigencies  of  the  Institution  shall  require, 
in  addition  to  the  Principal,  to  employ  such  other  professors,  teach- 
ers or  tutors,  as  shall  be  qualified  to  impart  to  pupils  under  their 
charge,  a  knowledge  of  the  English  language,  Grammar,  Geogra- 
phy, History,  Mathematics,  Chemistry,  and  such  other  branches 
of  the  natural  and  exact  sciences,  as  will  conduce  to  the  proper 
education  of  a  Farmer ;  the  pupils  shall  themselves,  at  such  proper 
times  and  seasons  as  shall  be  prescribed  by  the  Board  of  Trustees, 
perform  all  the  labor  necessary  in  the  cultivation  of  the  Farm, 
and  shall  thus  be  instructed  and  taught  all  things  necessary  to  be 
known  by  a  Farmer,  it  being  the  design  and  intention  of  this  act 
to  establish  an  Institution  in  which  youth  may  be  educated,  so  as  to 
fit  them  for  the  occupation  of  a  Farmer. 


OF   PENNSYLVANIA.  23 

Sec.  8.  That  the  Board  of-  Trustees  shall  annually  elect  a 
Treasurer,  who  shall  receive  and  disburse  the  funds  of  the  Insti- 
tution, and  perform  such  other  duties  as  shall  be  required  of  him, 
and  from  whom  they  shall  take  such  security  for  the  faithful  per- 
formance of  his  duty,  as  necessity  shall  require ;  and  it  shall  be 
the  duty  of  the  said  Board  of  Trustees,  annually,  on  or  before  the 
first  of  December,  to  make  out  a  full  and  detailed  account  of  the 
operations  of  the  Institution  for  the  preceding  year,  and  an  ac- 
count of  all  its  receipts  and  disbursements,  and  report  the  same  to 
the  Pennsylvania  State  Agricultural  Society,  who  shall  embody 
said  report  in  the  annual  report,  which  by  existing  laws,  the  said 
Society  is  bound  to  make  and  transmit  to  the  Legislature,  on  or 
before  the  first  Monday  of  January,  of  each  and  every  year. 

Sec.  9.  That  it  shall  be  lawful  for  the  Pennsylvania  State 
Agricultural  Society  to  appropriate  out  of  their  funds  to  the  object 
of  this  act,  a  sum  not  exceeding  ten  thousand  dollars,  whenever 
the  same  shall  be  required,  and  to  make  such  further  appropria- 
tions annually,  out  of  their  funds,  as  will  aid  in  the  prosecution  of 
this  object,  and  it  shall  be  the  duty  and  privilege  of  the  said  So- 
ciety, at  such  times  as  they  shall  deem  expedient  by  their  com- 
mittees, officers  or  otherwise,  to  visit  the  said  Institution,  and  ex- 
amine into  the  details  of  its  management. 

Sec.  10.  That  the  Act  to  Incorporate  the  Farmers  High  School 
of  Pennsylvania,  approved  the  thirteenth  day  of  April,  Anno 
Domini,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  fifty-four,  be  and  the 
same  is  hereby  repealed.  HENRY  K.  STRONG, 

Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 
WM.  M.  HIESTER, 
Speaker  of  Senate. 

Approved — The  twenty-second  day  of  February,  Anno  Domini, 
one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  fifty-five.        JAS.  POLLOCK. 

(The  above  is  the  present  law,  with  the  simple  excep- 
tion of  the  time  of  holding  the  annual  meeting  of  Dele- 
gates, which  by  act  of  Legislature,  approved  May  20th, 
1857,  was  changed  to  the  first  WednesdaWn  September. 
And  a  subsequent  act  providing  that  five  members  shall 
constitute  a  quorum  for  the  transaction  of  business.) 

MEETING   OF   THE    EXECUTIVE   COMMITTEE. 

The  following  members  of  the  Executive  Committee,  met 
at  Harrisburg,  April  17th,  1855 :  Jas.  Go  wen,  H.  N.  McAl- 
lister, A.  0.  Hiester,  John  Strohm,  James  Miles,  Abraham 
Mclllvain,  Isaac  G.  McKinley,  Thomas  P.  Knox,  George 


24  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE 

H.  Bucher,  William  Bigler,  David  Mumma,  J.  S.  Halde- 
man,  A.  L.  Elwyn,  A.  S.  Roberts,  J.  P.  Rutherford,  and 
R.  C.  Walker.  At  this  meeting,  a  communication  was 
received  from  Gen.  James  Irvin,  proposing  to  donate  200 
acres  of  land,  in  Centre  County,  for  the  purpose  of  an 
Agricultural  School.  The  Secretary  was  directed  to  lay 
this  proposition,  together  with  that  from  Judge  Miles,  of 
Erie,  with  any  others,  that  might  be  received,  before  the 
Trustees  of  the  Farmers  High  School,  at  their  meeting 
in  June  next;  and  with  a  hope  of  exciting  emulation; 
and  inducing  citizens  from  other  parts  of  the  State  to 
make  similar  offers.  This  order  to  the  Secretary  was  pub- 
lished in  the  leading  Newspapers  of  the  State. 

ORGANIZATION   OF   THE   BOARD   OF   TRUSTEES. 

On  the  14th  of  June  following,  the  Board  of  Trustees 
met  at  the  office  of  the  Pennsylvania  State  Agricultural 
Society,  at  Harrisburg,  and  organized  according  to  the 
provision  of  the  Act  of  Incorporation.  (Page  20.)  There 
were  present,  Messrs.  James  Pollock,  Governor,  and  A.  G. 
Curtin,  Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth,  A.  0.  Hiester, 
Frederick  Watts,  H.  N.  McAllister,  John  Strohm,  James 
Miles,  A.  L.  Elwyn,  and  Robert  C.  Walker. 

SITES  OFFERED. 

The  following  proposals  to  donate  and  sell  land  for  a 
site,  were  made :  James  Miles  to  donate  200  acres,  in  Erie 
County;  Genl.  James  Irvin,  to  donate  200,  in  Centre 
County;  Elias  Baker,  to  donate  200  in  Blair  County; 
James  Bailey,  to  sell  2000  acres  in  Perry  County,  and  Geo. 
A.  Bayard,  to  sell  600  acres  in  Allegheny  County.  On 
motion  of  H^hN.  McAllister,  Governor  Pollock,  Judge 
Watts  and  Dr.  Elwyn,  were  appointed  a  committee  to  ex- 
amine the  several  sites  offered. 

At  the  next  meeting  of  the  Board,  July  17th,  1855,  at 
Harrisburg,  this  committee  made  an  elaborate  report,  sta- 
ting that  they  had  visited  several  sites  offered  for  the  lo- 
cation of  the  college. 


OF   PENNSYLVANIA.  25 

REPORT    OF   COMMITTEE   TO   EXAMINE  "SITES. 

General  James  Irvin  had  offered  any  one  of  three  farms 
of  two  hundred  acres  of  good  limestone  land,  with  the  pre- 
emption right  to  two  hundred  additional  acres,  adjoining 
any  one  of  them  within  five  years. 

The  two  hundred  acres  offered  by  James  Miles,  were 
situated  about  eighteen  miles  west  of  the  city  of  Erie,  be- 
tween the  railroad  which  bounds  it  on  the  south,  and  the 
lake  shore.  The  land  was  a  sandy  loam,  highly  fertile, 
with  about  one  hundred  acres  of  cleared  land,  and  the  rest 
with  heavy  timber;  he  would  also  give  the  pre-emption 
right  to  any  additional  quantity  of  land,  which  may  be 
desired,  at  $60,00  per  acre. 

The  estate  of  George  Ai  Bayard  was  situated  on  the 
Youghiogheny  River,  about  three  miles  from  its  mouth,  and 
eighteen  miles  from  Pittsburgh.  It  consisted  of  600  acres 
of  well-watered  freestone  land,  worth  $35.00  per  acre. 
Very  extensive  improvements  had  been  made  upon  the 
estate,  including  several  dwelling-houses,  and  two  large 
barns.   Mr.  Bayard  would  sell  on  reasonable  terms. 

The  two  hundred  acres  offered  by  Elias  Baker,  were 
situated  in  Blair  County,  on  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad, 
about  two  miles  southwest  of  Altoona;  all  the  land,  ex- 
cept about  forty  acres,  was  cleared  and  fenced,  about  sixty 
acres  (south  of  the  Railroad)  was  of  good  freestone  land, 
and  the  balance  (north  of  the  Railroad)  good  slate  land. 
There  were  upwards  of  two  hundred  acres  more  in  the. 
tract  that  could  be  purchased  at  about  $25.00  per  acre.  All 
the  land  was  finely  watered. 

The  committee  further  stated,  that  they  had  just  re- 
ceived an  offer  of  200  acres  of  land,  worth  $60.00  per 
acre,  from  Wm.  H.  Easton  of  Franklin  County;  also,  that 
in  their  examination  of  the  land,  they  had  been  accompa- 
nied by  several  members  of  the  Board,  of  whose  opinion 
they  had  availed  themselves,  in  viewing  the  several  tracts 
offered. 

The  committee  close  their  report  by  saying,  that  although 
any  one  of  the  several  sites  they  had  viewed  would  be  eli- 
gible, yet  in  view  of  the  importance  of  the  subject,  and  the 
fact  that  the  people  of  the  state  were  not  yet  sufficiently 


26  AGBICULTURAL   COLLEGE 

acquainted  with  their  efforts,  they  did  not  then  deem  it 
advisable  to  make  a  selection  of  any  one  of  the  sites  offered. 

The  committee  was  then  continued,  and  directed  to  exa- 
mine such  other  sites  as  might  be  offered,  and  to  report  at 
the  next  meeting  of  the  Board.  In  order  that  all  friends 
of  agricultural  education  over  the  state  might  have  an  op- 
portunity to  offer  inducements  to  locate  the  college  where 
tbey  wished  it,  the  proceedings  of  the  meeting  were  ordered 
to  be  published  in  all  the  prominent  papers  of  the  state. 

The  Hon.  Simon  Cameron  then  stated  that  he  thought 
$10,000  could  be  raised  in  Dauphin  County  to  purchase  a 
farm  there  for  a  site,  and  that  to  this  end  he  would  lead  a 
subscription  with  $1,000.  Messrs.  J.  W.  Patten  and  J. 
Morrow,  in  behalf  of  the  citizens  of  Blair  county,  offered 
to  purchase  two  hundred  additional  acres,  adjoining  the 
two  hundred  offered  by  Colonel  Baker,  thus  offering  four 
hundred  acres,  provided  the  school  were  located  in  Blair 
county. 

The  meeting  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  State 
Agricultural  Society  also  convened  at  this  time  in  Harris- 
burgh.  On  motion  of  H.  N.  McAllister,  at  this  meeting,  it 
was  Resolved,  That  the  sum  of  $10,000  be  appropriated  by 
the  State  Agricultural  Society  to  the  Farmers'  High  School 
of  Pennsylvania. 

The  third  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  convened  at 
Harrisburg,  September  12,  1855. 

The  Committee  appointed  to  view  sites  for  the  location 
of  the  college,  reported  that,  since  the  last  meeting  of  the 
board,  they  had  viewed  three  farms,  offered  by  Mr.  Easton, 
of  Franklin  County;  two  of  them,  of  about  200  acres  each, 
were  situated  on  the  Pittsburg  turnpike,  near  the  town  of 
Loudon,  both  good  limestone  land  in  a  high  state  of  im- 
provement, and  on  the  one  nearest  the  town  a  never-fail- 
ing spring  of  water.  A  third  farm,  between  Loudon  and 
Mercersburg,  of  246  acres  limestone  land  in  a  high  state  of 
improvement,  was  also  offered. 

The  Committee  also  presented  a  letter  just  received  from 
David  Blair,  in  which  he  offered  to  donate  200  acres,  near 
Shade  Gap,  on  the  road  leading  from  Mount  Union,  on  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad,  to  Chambersburg,  containing  about 


OF   PENNSYLVANIA.  27 

130  acres  of  cultivated  land,  the  whole  well  watered,  and 
limestone  quarries  on  it.  In  regard  to  the  site  in  Centre 
County,  H.  N.  McAllister  presented  a  paper  in  which  he, 
James  Irvin  and  A.  G.  Curtin,  pledged  themselves  in  be- 
half of  Centre  and  Huntingdon  Counties  to  donate  the 
sum  of  $10,000  for  the  purposes  implied  in  the  act  of  incor- 
poration of  the  Farmers  High  School  of  Pennsylvania,  pro- 
vided the  said  site  be  accepted. 

Mr.  McFarlane  and  Elias  Baker  offered  to  donate  400 
acres  of  land  near  Altoona,  and  to  guaranty  the  sum  of 
$10,000  from  the  citizens  of  Blair  County,  provided  this 
site  were  accepted. 

An  offer  was  also  made  by  the  trustees  of  the  estate  of 
Mr.  Moore  in  Union  County  to  sell  265  acres  of  land  for  a 
site. 

FINAL  VOTE  ON  THE  LOCATION  OF  THE  SCHOOL. 

After  due  consideration  of  all  these  offers,  the  Hon. 
Fred.  Watts,  of  Cumberland,  offered  the  following  resolu- 
tion : — Resolved,  that  the  adoption  of  the  'proposition  of  Qen. 
James  Irvin  for  the  location  of  the  Farmers  High  Sclwol  of 
Pennsylvania  will  best  promote  the  interests  of  the  institution, 
and  that  the  same  is  hereby  adopted. 

The  question  being  on  the  adoption,  Mr.  Jas.  Gowen 
moved  to  strike  out  the  name  of  General  Irvin  and  insert 
that  of  Elias  Baker;  not  agreed  to.  Dr.  Elwyn  moved  to 
strike  out  the  name  of  General  Irvin  and  insert  that  of  H. 
Easton — not  agreed  to.  Fred.  Watts  then  moved  that  the 
question  be  postponed,  and  that  James  Gowen,  A.  O. 
Hiester  and  John  Strohm  be  appointed  a  committee  of 
three  to  examine  the  propositions  and  determine  which 
should  be  accepted — not  agreed  to.  Kobt.  C.  Walker  then 
moved  to  strike  from  the  resolution  the  name  of  General 
James  Irvin  and  insert  that  of  Geo.  A.  Bayard ;  not  agreed, 
to.  The  question  then  recurring  upon  the  original  resolu- 
tion, was  decided  in  the  affirmative. 

The  details  of  the  selection  of  a  site  as  just  given  are 
made  more  full  than  would  otherwise  have  been  neces- 
sary, in  order  to  satisfy  persons  who  may  have  an  interest 
in  the  subject,  that  the  present  site  of  the  Agricultural  Col- 


28  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE 

lege  of  Pennsylvania  was  not  selected  without  a  full  and 
free  opportunity  for  the  friends  of  any  other  site  to  offer 
inducements  for  its  location  and  erection,  and  without  the 
claims  thus  presented  being  fairly  and  impartially  considered. 

SOLICITATION  OF  AID  FROM  THE  STATE. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  held  January  4th, 
1856,  H.  N.  McAllister,  A.  0.  Hiester  and  Robt.  C.  Walker 
were  appointed  a  committee  to  solicit  an  appropriation  (of 
$50,000)  from  the  Legislature  then  in  session,  for  the 
furtherance  of  the  object  of  the  act  of  Incorporation  of 
the  Farmers  High  School  of  Pennsylvania. 

PLANS   FOR   COLLEGE   BUILDINGS. 

At  this  meeting  several  plans  for  college  buildings  were 
presented.  One  by  H.  N.  McAllister,  for  the  college  build- 
ing, and  one  by  Fred.  Watts  for  a  barn,  were  adopted, 
and  H.  N.  McAllister,  Fred.  Watts,  and  James  Miles  were 
appointed  a  building  committee  to  contract  for  the  con- 
struction of  the  college  buildings.  Means  were  taken  to 
secure  a  principal  and  competent  teachers,  to  open  the 
school  as  soon  as  the  buildings  were  ready  for  the  admis- 
sion of  pupils.  The  board  also  agreed  to  take  200  addi- 
tional acres  of  land  from  Gen.  James  Irvin,  making  a  farm 
of  4 00  acres. 

CONTRACT   TO   ERECT    COLLEGE   BUILDINGS. 

On  the  12th  of  May,  1856,  the  building  committee 
articled  with  Messrs.  Turner  &  Natcher  to  construct  the 
College  Buildings  for  the  sum  of  $55,000,  and  the  work 
upon  the  building  was  at  once  commenced. 

FIRST   ANNUAL   MEETING  OF   DELEGATES. 

On  the  6th  of  the  following  October,  the  board  met  for 
the  first  time  at  the  site  of  the  College.  The  occasion  was 
that  of  the  first  annual  meeting  of  delegates  for  the  elec- 
tion of  trustees.  The  contract  of  Turner  and  Natcher  was 
approved  by  the  board.  Measures  were  taken  to  secure  a 
sum  of  nearly  ($5,000)  left  by  the  will  of  the  late  Elliot 
Cresson  to  the  Farmers  High  School;  and  Messrs.  F.  Watts, 
H.  N.  McAllister  and  J.  Strohm,  were  appointed  a  com- 


OF   PENNSYLVANIA.     ,  29 

mittee  to  lay  the  affairs  of  the  institution  before  the  next 
Legislature. 

APPROPRIATION  BY  THE  STATE  LEGISLATURE. 

Accordingly,  at  the  next  Session,  a  bill  to  appropriate 
),000  to  the  Farmers  High  School  of  Pennsylvania,  was 
placed  in  the  hands  of  Colonel  Gregg,  at  that  time  Senator 
from  that  district.  The  committee  also  found  an  earnest, 
influential  advocate  in  the  Hon.  James  T.  Hale,  of  Centre 
County. 

Colonel  Gregg  at  once  espoused  the  cause  of  the  bill  with 
all  the  earnestness  of  an  advocate ;  and,  in  conjunction  with 
Judge  Hale  and  the  committee,  canvassed  it  thoroughly  be- 
fore the  Legislature,  and  finally  brought  it  to  the  test  of  a 
vote  by  which  it  became  a  law,  approved  May  20th,  1857. 

The  Act  in  question  appropriated  $25,000  at  once  to  the 
Farmers  High  School,  in  view  of  $25,000  already  obtained; 
and  appropriated  an  additional  $25,000,  provided  a  like 
sum  be  raised  by  subscription.  It  further  provides  that 
the  annual  meeting  of  delegates  for  the  election  of  mem- 
bers to  the  Board  of  Trustees  be  held  on  the  first  Wednes- 
day of  September. 

At  the  7th  meeting  of  the  Board  held  at  Harrisburg  the 
18th  of  March,  1858,  H.  N.  McAllister,  of  the  Committee 
appointed  for  this  purpose,  made  a  report  upon  the  progress 
of  the  Buildings  under  the  contract,  and  of  the  state  of  the 
farm. 

The  passage  of  the  act  of  May,  1859,  infused  new  con- 
fidence into  the  movement.  It  placed $25,000  in  the  hands 
of  the  Trustees  at  once,  in  addition  to  the  $25,000  already 
collected  by  subscription,  and  there  was  little  doubt  felt 
that  the  other  25,000  could  easily  be  raised,  thus  redeem- 
ing the  additional  $25,000  from  the  Legislature,  and  making 
a  total  of  $100,000,  at  the  disposal  of  the  Trustees.  With 
the  main  College  Buildings  contracted  for  $55,000,  there 
seemed  to  be  an  additional  surplus  quite  sufficient  for  erect- 
ing out-buildings  and  putting  the  farm  into  proper  order 
for  opening  the  college.  At  a  meeting  of  the  Board,  July 
2d,  1857,  E.  C.  Humes  was  authorized  to  draw  upon  the 
State  Treasury  for  $25,000  in  accordance  with  the  act  of 
May  20. 


30  AGRICULTURAL    COLLEGE 

A  LARGE  MEETING  OF  DELEGATES. 

The  annual  meeting  of  delegates  for  the  election  of  Trus- 
tees assembled  September  2d,  1857.  There  were  dele- 
gates present  from  Allegheny,  Berks,  Blair,  Bucks,  Cam- 
bria, Chester,  Clinton,  Cumberland,  Centre,  Delaware,  Erie, 
Huntingdon,  Juniata,  Lancaster,  Mifflin,  Northumberland, 
Perry,  Schuylkill,  Westmoreland,  and  Union.  This  meet- 
ing was  opened  by  the  Hon.  Jas.  T.  Hale,  thanking  the 
audience  for  their  attendance,  and  expressing  a  hope  that 
the  Hon.  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  would  favor 
them  with  some  remarks  upon  the  subject  of  the  meeting, 
whereupon  Judge  Watts  arose  and  said,  that  observation 
and  reflection  teach  that  men  are  classified  by  the  amount 
and  quality  of  their  education,  and  not  by  their  calling. 

That  the  merchants  and  manufacturers  in  the  eastern 
states,  the  professional  men  of  the  middle  states,  and  the 
planters  of  the  Southern  States,  were  the  most  influential 
men  in  their  respective  states,  because  the  best  educated. 
The  importance  of  agriculture  in  Pennsylvania,  and  the 
necessity  of  the  agriculturist  exerting  a  marked  influence, 
pointed  out  the  necessity  of  agricultural  schools,  at  which 
to  secure  that  education  out  of  which  this  influence  only 
can  grow.  He  dwelt  upon  the  great  benefits  conferred 
upon  the  agricultural  interests,  by  the  many  agricultural 
societies  which  have  recently  been  founded;  and  urged  the 
necessity  of  building  up  the  Farmers  High  School,  as  a 
means  of  still  further  enlightening  the  farmer  on  the  duties 
of  his  calling,  by  affording  a  suitable  course  of  instruction 
for  his  sons,  at  prices  commensurate  with  his  means.  After 
alluding  to  the  fact  that  the  expense  of  an  ordinary  College 
course  was  too  great  to  be  met  by  the  generality  of  farmers, 
he  said: 

"  But  the  cost  is  by  no  means  the  greatest  objection;  for  the  effect 
of  this  education  upon  the  farmer's  son  in  almost  every  case  is,  that 
of  utterly  estranging  him  from,  and  unfitting  him  for,  the  safe  and 
healthful  and  normal  pursuit  of  his  father.  The  youth  who  returns 
to  the  farm  at  home,  after  three  or  four  years'  study  of  books  at  col- 
lege desks,  and  in  purely  literary  society,  finds  utter  uncongeniality 
in  the  company  of  his  own  father  and  brothers  ;  his  mind  has  been 
turned  into  paths  leading  quite  away  from  rural  pursuits,  and  his  hands 


OF   PENNSYLVANIA.  31 

are  untaught  and  unfitted  to  assist  in,  or  direct  the  labors  of  the  farm. 
The  moral  effect  of  this  common  but  sad  result  is  equally  disastrous 
and  pitiable  both  in  father  and  son.  It  is  a  state  of  things  which 
must  be  cured:  if  not,  it  will  act  like  a  corrosive  ulcer.  We  must 
combine  the  cultivated  intellect  and  social  amenities  of  mental  refine- 
ment, with  the  strong  practical  usefulness  and  sound  virtues  of  the 
agriculturist,  who  giving  the  sweat  of  his  brow  receives  from  Pro- 
vidence such  bounties  as  are  now  stored  around  us  in  this  building,* 
and  spread  upon  these  tables  for  the  daily  support  of  all  human  life, 
and  who  dispenses  them  to  all  other  classes. 

If  these  be  not  thus  wedded,  this  great  agricultural  state  of  Penn- 
sylvania must  remain,  as  now,  with  the  balance  of  influence  and  power 
in  the  hands  of  comparatively  few ;  for  I  may  be  allowed  to  repeat, 
•with  no  other  desire  than  to  contribute  to  the  future  prosperity  of  our 
glorious  Commonwealth,  that  the  great  body  of  our  citizens,  the  great 
agricultural  body,  have  not  the  power  and  the  influence  which  they 
ought  to  have  for  the  proper  balance  of  power  in  our  political  and 
social  relations.  Something  must  be  done  to  increase  their  power — 
how  shall  we  do  it  ?  Education  will  impart  influence,  but  it  must 
be  such  education  as  will  lead  to  the  desired  end ;  it  is  self-evident 
that  it  is  no  education  unless  it  is  a  fit  one.  Science,  art,  and  labor 
must  be  combined.  Here  is  our  want.  At  present  we  have  no  suit- 
able college  in  existence.  Whatever  may  have  been  done  in  Europe 
under  the  greater  pressure  of  necessity  we  have  no  such  institutions 
as  yet,  to  which  we  can  have  access. 

Now  the  institution  we  are  striving  to  establish,  at  the  earliest 
possible  period,  is  intended  to  supply  this  great  social,  political, 
moral,  and  economical  want.  And  while  it  improves  the  mind  of 
the  agriculturist,  and  trains  his  hands,  it  will  do  both  at  less  expense 
than  a  purely  literary  training  can  be  obtained  for.  Thus,  while 
reducing  costs  very  greatly,  it  will  educate  better  and  fit  for  every 
business  relation  of  practical  life. 

We  estimate  that  $100  per  annum  will  fully  cover  all  expenses 
for  board  and  tuition,  as  we  are  instituting  upon  the  farm  different 
branches  of  culture  adapted  for  exercise,  and  to  illustrate  fully  the 
entire  theory  and  practice  of  cultivation,  and  at  the  same  time  such 
as  will  afford  pleasant  and  profitable,  moderate,  regular,  and  varied 
labor  to  the  students.  Provision  will  be  made  for  ample  and  ex- 
tensive mathematical  training  and  engineering  practice.  All  the 
branches  of  Natural  science  will  be  fully  illustrated  and  taught. 
Moral  and  Social  science,  and  all  the  arts  of  practical  life,  excluding 
nothing  but  what  is  exclusively  literary  as  the  acquisition  of  the  dead 
and  foreign  languages.  We  have  started — there  must  now  be  for 
us  no  such  word  as  fail.     Our  Legislature  has  done  much  to  aid  us ; 

*  At  the  dinner  table  in  the  barn. 


I 


32  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE 

we  have  much  to  do  ourselves.  Let  us  ask  ourselves,  each  one  of 
us,  how  much  do  we  owe  to  society,  and  especially  to  the  great  class 
that  forms  its  "basis.  Let  there  be  no  adverse  feelings  founded  on 
local  preference.  What  motive  could  there  he  to  induce  those  who 
examined  and  determined  the  locality  of  this  school  to  do  else  than 
right  ?  With  the  approval  of  my  associates,  I  could  gladly  have 
taken  it  into  my  own  dear  valley  of  Cumberland,  but  in  the  exercise 
of  a  sound  and  clear  judgment  (I  speak  for  all  as  an  inconsiderable 
one  only)  the  Board  having  looked  over  all  proposed  lands  and  con- 
sidered all  circumstances,  believed  the  one  chosen  to  be  the  best. 
It  is  possible  that  we  were  in  fault,  yet  I  have  ever  believed  the 
selection  made  combined  more  advantages  than  any  other  offered, 
and  I  ask  for  myself  and  associates  the  credit  at  least  of  honest  mo- 
tives, and  of  all  to  consider  how  many  of  the  most  essential  advan^ 
tages  of  soil,  surface,  exposure,  healthfulness,  and  centrality,  are 
combined  in  the  ground  we  have  met  upon. 

For  a  great  common  good,  and  in  a  spirit  of  mutual  confidence, 
let  personal  feelings  not  enter  into  our  consideration ;  but  let  us  all 
agree  to  the  conclusion  that  what  is  done  is  best.  I  must  only 
detain  you  with  a  brief  detail  of  our  financial  strength.  We  have 
received  from  our  State  Society  $10,000,  from  citizens  of  Centre 
County  $10,000,  from  the  State  $25,000.  From  the  estate  of  the 
late  Elliot  Cresson  $5,000,  making  in  all  $50,000.  To  complete 
the  buildings  and  open  the  institution  we  must  have  $50,000,  and 
this  is  provided  for,  if  one  half  of  the  amount  be  raised  by  indi- 
viduals. "We  shall  then  have  $100,000  with  which  we  can  then 
start  this  institution  into  active  and  useful  operation  at  a  rate 
of  charge  to  each  student  of  not  over  $100  per  annum.  All 
the  influence  and  industry  we  can  exercise  will  go  into  the  ac- 
count, and  if  our  judgment  and  management  be  approved,  we 
shall  not  be  allowed  in  this  great  Commonwealth  to  fail  of  such 
an  object.  The  community  understanding  our  aims,  will  not  let 
us  fail.  We  must  obtain  the  $25,000  by  individual  contribu- 
tion, and  I  say  for  myself  only  because  I  am  urged  to  say  it,  that 
I  will  be  one  of  ten  to  give  $1,000  each  towards  making  up  that 
amount." 

The  speaker  took  his  seat  amidst  the  approbation  of  his 
auditors.  Gen.  James  Irvin  offered  to  be  one  of  ten  to  sub- 
scribe $1,000. 

Hon.  James  Miles  pledged  $1,000  for  Erie  and  Craw- 
ford Counties.  Hon.  James  Burnside  thought  Clinton 
County  would  be  good  enough  for  $1,000,  and  Cambria  for 
$500.  Hon.  George  Boal  pledged  Centre  County  for  $1,000 
in  addition  to  the  $10;000  already  subscribed.     General 


OF   PENNSYLVANIA.  33 

Snodgrass  pledged  Allegheny  County  for  $1,000.     H.  N. 
McAllister  offered  to  be  one  of  twenty  to  give  $500  each. 
Judge  Hale  arose  and  said: 

Centre  County  has  raised  §10,000,  and  one  of  her  distinguished 
citizens  has  given  an  equal  value  in  land,  and  has  just  pledged 
another  $1,000,  followed  by  other  conditional  pledges  from  other 
of  her  citizens  for  yet  another  §1,500. 

The  President  of  this  meeting,  who  has  given  so  freely  of  his 
valuable  time  and  abilities  to  all  the  details  of  the  enterprise  at 
the  greatest  sacrifice,  has  offered  yet  a  sum  of  §1,000  :  now  cannot 
we  raise  the  balance  of  the  sum  wanted  on  the  spot?  I  will  pledge 
myself  to  raise  $500  more,  if  we  can  thus  accomplish  this.  Let 
us  hear  from  all  the  counties  represented.  As  to  the  location  of 
the  school,  it  must  necessarily  be  located  somewhere.  It  has  been 
located  here,  and  we  are  sensible  of  the  advantages  it  brings  to  us, 
and  have  contributed  very  nearly  one-fourth  of  the  entire  estimate 
of  100,000.  Yet  all  other  counties  will  have  an  equal  right  with 
us  to  send  pupils,  and  we  feel  that  we  have  a  right  to  ask  other 
counties  to  aid  in  the  consummation  of  this  great  work  of  the 
State." 

Dr.  J.  R.  Eshelman  then  pledged  Chester  County  for 
$500  ;  John  Strohm  pledged  $500  for  Lancaster.  Several 
other  pledges  were  given  for  all  that  could  be  done  in  other 
counties. 

FINANCIAL   DIFFICULTIES. 

Unfortunately  for  the  funds  of  the  school  many  of  the 
above  pledges  were  not  redeemed,  and  the  general  depres- 
sion of  business  which  followed  the  financial  panic  of  1857, 
together  with  the  failure  of  crops  in  some  of  the  counties, 
almost  put  a  stop  to  raising  subscriptions.  In  the  mean- 
time, the  work  on  the  college  buildings  was  progressing, 
and  the  constant  drafts  on  the  treasury  warned  the  busi- 
ness committee  that  some  effort  must  be  made  to  obtain 
subscriptions. 

At  two  successive  meetings  of  the  Board  at  this  time, 
December,  1857,  and  March,  1858,  there  wasjiot  a  quorum 
of  members  present,  and  the  business  committee  were  to 
a  certain  extent  left  to  their  own  resources  in  order  to  sup- 
ply the  constant  demands  upon  the  Treasury. 


34  AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGE 

CONTRACTOR  UNABLE  TO  FULFIL  HIS  CONTRACT. 

It  now  became  more  and  more  apparent  that  the  con- 
tractors would  be  unable  to  comply  with  the  conditions  of 
their  contract,  as  it  was  evident  that  they  had  taken  it  at 
a  price  that  would  do  little  more  than  meet  half  the  ex- 
pense involved  in  complying  with  the  contract,  and  being 
without  means  beyond  those  afforded  by  the  Trustees,  and 
the  latter  having  an  empty  Treasury  to  draw  upon,  the 
prospects  of  the  school  were  anything  but  flattering. 

At  this  time  there  is  no  doubt  the  work  would  have 
been  suspended,  and  the  Pennsylvania  Agricultural  College 
would  soon,  like  a  great  many  others  in  the  United  States, 
have  been  kn©wn  only  by  the  half  finished  works  that 
marked  the  spot  where  it  was  intended  to  stand,  had  it 
not  been  for  the  indomitable  perseverance  and  unremit- 
ting labor  of  the  business  committee,  and  more  especially 
of  H.  N.  McAllister,  the  local  Trustee,  in  looking  after  its 
affairs. 

In  addition  to  the  $10,000  that  the  latter  gentleman 
guarantied  for  Centre  County,  in  case  the  College  were 
located  upon  the  farm  of  Gen.  James  Irvin,  he  received 
nearly  $6,000  by  subscription  from  others  in  the  county,  to 
which  he  added  $500  from  his  own  pocket.  He  also  visited 
a  number  of  other  counties,  called  meetings,  and  raised 
collections  himself,  or  secured  the  services  of  others  in  doing 
so. 

During  all  this  time  the  general  control  of  the  work  on 
the  college  buildings  devolved  upon  him,  and  to  meet  the 
demand  of  the  contractor  he  was  obliged  to  advance  several 
thousand  dollars  from  his  own  pocket,  trusting  to  raise  it 
by  subscriptions.  The  time  to  perform  all  this  labor  for 
the  school  was  taken  from  a  professional  life  already  over- 
crowded with  professional  duties.  It  was  done  gratuitously, 
and  all  the  expenses  involved  in  travelling  to  collect  money, 
hold  meetings,  or  do  other  labor  for  the  school  were  paid 
from  his  own  pocket.  It  has  been  remarked  that  if  for 
no  other  purpose,  it  were  sufficient  to  locate  the  college  in 
Centre  County  to  secure  the  aid  of  a  laborer  so  efficient  and 
self-sacrificing  in  its  behalf  as  the  present  local  trustee. 
The  thirteenth  meeting  of  the  Board  of  the  Trustees  con- 


OF   PENNSYLVANIA.  35 

vened  at  the  Farm  School  on  the  16th  of  June,  1858. 
There  were  present  Messrs.  McAllister,  Eyre,  Hiester,  Miles, 
Elwyn,  and  Watts,  President.  The  President,  as  Chairman 
of  the  Business  Committee,  reported  that  they  had  con- 
tracted with  General  Irvin  for  the  additional  200  acres 
of  land  adjoining  the  200  he  had  donated.  The  commit- 
tee further  reported  upon  the  progress  of  the  building, 
stating  the  impossibility  of  the  contractors  being  able  to 
finish  it.  Whereupon  they  were  vested,  by  the  board, 
with  power  to  act  as  the  emergency  might  demand  in  order 
to  secure  the  erection  of  the  building. 

H.  N.  McAllister,  having  been  appointed  by  the  Presi- 
dent to  solicit  donations,  reported  that  Centre  County  had 
subscribed  $5,769  64,  but  that  a  part  of  this  was  required 
to  make  up  the  $10,000  which  he,  with  Messrs.  Curtin 
and  Hale,  had  paid  over  as  the  subscription  of  Centre' 
County  in  order  to  secure  the  location  of  the  College;  he, 
however,  expressed  his  willingness  to  allow  this  balance 
on  the  $10,000  to  remain  unpaid,  that  the  entire  sum  just 
collected,  might  be  made  available  for  securing  an  equal 
amount  from  the  state,  in  accordance  with  the  act  of  ap- 
propriation of  1857,  provided  that  the  amount  yet  due  them 
from  the  Centre  County  subscription,  be  paid  from  other 
subscriptions,  that  might  be  obtained  after  all  the  money 
available  from  the  State  was  obtained.  This  proviso 
was  approved  by  the  Board.  The  financial  affairs  of  the 
institution  now  presented  the  most  serious  problem  for  the 
solution  of  the  Board. 

EMBARRASSMENT  OF  THE  BOARD. 

The  funds  were  exhausted,  the  contractors  were  about  to 
fail,  and  the  work  of  the  basement  walls  not  yet  completed, 
while  the  country  was  prostrated,  under  the  influence  of 
the  financial  crisis  of  the  preceding  year.  It  was  resolved 
to  present  an  address  to  the  people  of  the  State,  setting 
forth  the  financial  difficulties  of  the  Board,  and  to  appoint 
suitable  persons  to  solicit  donations  from  the  people ;  and  to 
meet  the  emergencies  of  the  present,  it  was  resolved  to  raise 
$5,000  upon  the  individual  note  of  some  of  the  members  of 
the  Board.     Under  such  circumstances  many  corporations 


36  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE 

would  have  at  once  broken  up  in  despair,  but  the  trustees 
of  the  Farm  School,  determined  not  to  yield  to  these  diffi- 
culties, made  arrangement  for  the  admission  of  pupils  on 
the  assumption  that  the  building  must  he  prepared  for  them. 
The  conditions  of  admission  and  course  of  instruction  were 
settled  upon,  and  it  is  not  a  little  remarkable,  that  at  that 
time,  and  under  these  difficulties,  and  relying  wholly  upon 
their  judgment  of  what  the  college  should  be,  but  without 
any  experience  as  to  how  it  would  meet  the  wants  of  the 
Agricultural  Community,  they  laid  down  the  general  plan 
of  operation  for  it,  which  has  since  been  followed  out,  and 
is  now  proving  successful.  It  was  decided  to  carry  up 
about  one-third  of  the  building,  and  complete  it  for  the 
admission  of  about  100  students,  leaving  the  other  two- 
thirds  with  only  the  basement  walls  up. 

PROSPECT  OF  FAILURE. 

At  this  period,  such  seemed  to  be  the  hopelessness  of 
completing  the  building  that  those  who  did  not  appreciate 
the  importance  of  doing  so,  nor  understand  the  devotion  of 
the  Trustees,  and  more  especially  of  the  building  commit- 
tee, to  the  cause  they  had  espoused,  did  not  think  it  ever 
could  be  completed;  and  their  policy  of  commencing  a 
building  sufficiently  large  to  organize  an  Agricultural 
College  was  severely  condemned,  while  a  small  school 
with  an  elementary  course  of  instruction  was  pointed  out  as 
what  could  and  should  have  been  founded.  To  add  to  the 
discouragement  of  the  members  of  the  Board,  who  were 
determined  the  work  should  not  stop,  one  of  the  most  pro- 
minent members  who  had  labored  hard  for  the  cause  from 
the  beginning  resigned,  but  his  place  was  supplied  at  the 
next  annual  meeting  of  the  delegates,  September  1st,  1858. 

At  the  fifteenth  meeting  of  the  Board,  December  8th,  1858, 
it  was  resolved  that  the  school  be  opened  for  students  on 
the  16th  of  February,  1859,  and  measures  were  taken  to 
apprize  the  people  of  the  Commonwealth  of  the  fact,  as 
also  of  the  terms  and  form  of  admission.  As  already  re- 
marked, it  had  become  evident  that  Turner  and  Natcher 
would  be  unable  to  comply  with  the  conditions  of  the  con- 
tract.    The  work  of  preparing  the  building  had  therefore 


OF  PENNSYLVANIA,      N  37 

passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Building  Committee,  and  they 
were  urging  it  on  with  all  possible  speed  to  have  the  build- 
ing ready  for  pupils  at  the  appointed  time ;  and  to  meet 
the  expense  involved,  in  going  on  with  the  work,  five  of  the 
Trustees  subscribed  $500  from  their  own  pockets,  which 
enabled  them  to  draw  a  corresponding  amount  from  the 
State,  and  they  further  authorized  the  President  of  the 
Board,  to  secure  by  loan  an  amount  sufficient  to  finish  and 
furnish  the  part  to  be  prepared  for  the  pupils. 

OPENING   SCHOOL. 

At  the  appointed  time,  February  16th,  1859,  the  school 
was  opened  under  the  control  of  the  following  Faculty  and 
Professors. 

Wm.  G.  Waring,  who  had  been  superintending  the  farm, 
garden,  and  nursery  for  some-  time  previous  was  now  ap- 
pointed General  Superintendent  of  the  College,  and  Pro- 
fessor of  Horticulture;  S.  Baird,  Professor  of  Mathematics; 
K.  C.  Allison,  Professor  of  English  Literature ;  J.  S.  Whit- 
man, A.  M.,  Prof,  of  Natural  Science.  Prof.  Baird  resigned 
May  18th,  1859,  and  the  Board  at  that  time  assembled, 
appointed  Prof.  David  Wilson  in  his  stead.  Over  100  pupils 
had  engaged  places,  and  sixty-nine  were  present  on  the 
first  day  of  opening;  during  the  session  119  students  were 
entered,  though  there  were  never  more  than  about  100 
present  at  any  one  time,  owing  to  the  dismission  and  ex- 
pulsion of  some  and  the  withdrawal  of  others.  The  school 
was  opened  under  innumerable  difficulties  and  disadvan- 
tages. The  buildings  were  only  partially  finished,  and  in 
the  absence  of  the  intended  dining-room  and  kitchen  a 
board  shantee,  which  could  neither  be  kept  warm  in  cold 
nor  dry  in  wet  and  stormy  weather,  was  used  to  cook  and 
eat  in.  Proper  apartments  for  museums,  laboratories,  and 
recitation  rooms  were  wanting.  The  farm  was  yet  rough, 
and  the  lumber  and  materials  for  mason  and  brick  work 
for  the  completion  of  the  building,  were  piled  round  in 
shapeless  masses  on  all  sides  of  the  latter,  rendering  it 
almost  impossible  to  get  about  it,  and  presenting  a  most 
forlorn  aspect  to  the  students,  who  first  entered  the  college, 
4 


38  AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGE 

through  the  well  tramped  mud  of  the  breaking  up  of  the 
winter  frosts. 

The  limited  number  of  students  that  could  be  admitted 
did  not  allow  of  the  employment  of  a  sufficient  number  of 
professors,  teachers,  and  assistants  to  admit  of  a  proper 
division  of  labor  among  them,  and  hence  an  efficient 
organization  of  the  institution  was  not  possible.  The  un- 
precedented nature  of  the  experiment  made  it  necessary  to 
intrust  it  to  inexperienced  hands;  and  although  every  pre- 
caution was  taken  to  admit  none  but  students  of  the  very 
highest  character,  yet  unfortunately,  experience  soon 
proved  that  this  flock  was  not  without  its  "  black  sheep." 
Add  to  all  this  the  general  sentiment  of  superficial  ob- 
servers, that  the  building  never  could  be  finished,  and  the 
unhappy  state  of  feeling  produced  in  the  minds  of  many  in 
consequence  of  pecuniary  losses  they  sustained  by  the 
failure  of  the  first  contractor,  and  bear  in  mind  the  state  of 
the  finances  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  as  already  pointed 
out,  and  we  have  some  of  the  difficulties  encountered  by 
the  Farm  School  on  first  coming  into  existence. 

FACULTY  FOR    1860. 

At  the  nineteenth  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees, 
held  at  the  College,  December  7th,  1859,  the  following 
faculty  were  nominated,  and  instructions  given  to  pre- 
pare the  first  annual  catalogue. 

EVAN  PUGH,  Ph.  D.  &  F.  C.  S.,  President. 

DAVID  WILSON,  A.  M.,  Vice  President. 

WM.  G.  WARING,  General  Superintendent  of  the  Hor- 
ticultural Department. 

J.  S.  WHITMAN,  A.  M.,  Professor  of  Botany. 

R.  C.  ALLISON,  A.  M.,  Professor  of  English  Literature. 

In  view  of  the  financial  affairs  of  the  Board,  and  the 
unfinished  state  of  the  building,  the  Rev.  Thomas  P. 
Hunt  was  appointed  to  solicit  donations  for  the  College. 
Mr.  Hunt  entered  upon  his  duties  with  characteristic 
earnestness,  but  it  was  soon  found  that  the  country  had  not 
yet  sufficiently  recovered  from  the  financial  crisis  of  1857, 


OF  PENNSYLVANIA.  39 

to  make  it  possible  to  raise  money  in  this  way,  and  the 
project  was  soon  abandoned. 

The  Session  of  1859  closed  about  the  middle  of  De- 
cember, and  the  Trustees  then  thought  that  the  success 
which  had  attended  the  effort  under  the  difficulties,  met 
in  making  it,  would  induce  the  Legislature  to  afford  means 
to  complete  the  buildings.  Accordingly,  a  bill  asking 
money  for  this  purpose  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  one  of 
the  members,  to  be  brought  before  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives. The  bill,  however,  never  reached  its  second 
reading,  and  the  College,  incumbered  with  debt,  and  its 
building  unfinished,  was  left  to  struggle  through  another 
year,  dependent  in  part  for  its  existence  upon  the  energy 
and  enterprise  and  liberality  of  those  who  had  already 
sacrificed  so  much  to  bring  it  thus  far. 

The  Session  of  1860  was  inaugurated  with  a  full  school, 
while  several  who  applied  from  other  states,  could  not  be 
admitted.  The  increased  experience  of  the  faculty  in 
managing  it,  and  the  greater  experience  of  the  students 
in  performing  their  duties,  gave  additional  hope  of  the 
ultimate  success  of  the  College,  if  its  buildings  only  could 
be  completed;  on  the  other  hand  it  became  equally  evi- 
dent that  if  they  were  not  completed,  the  school  must 
stop,  and  all  the  property  accumulated  be  sacrificed  to 
meet  its  debts. 

FINAL  APPEAL  TO  THE   STATE   LEGISLATURE. 

Successive  appeals  to  private  individuals  had  failed  to 
secure  the  funds  required.  Being  a  State  Institution,  and 
not  a  denominational  school,  it  had  not  the  advantage  of 
being  able  to  interest  any  special  sect  in  its  favor.  But  on 
the  other  hand  being  an  Agricultural  School,  devoted  to 
the  Agricultural  interests  of  an  Agricultural  State,  and 
having  originated  in  an  effort  of  the  State  Agricultural 
Society,  and  having  been  aided  in  its  origin  by  State  ap- 
propriations, it  became  most  appropriately  an  object  for 
State  patronage,  therefore,  at  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees,  held  at  the  College,  December  5th,  1860,  it  was 

Resolved,  That  the  sum  of  $50,000  was  necessary  to 


40  AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGE 

finish  the  College  Buildings,  and  that  an  application  be 
made  to  the  Legislature  at  its  approaching  session  to  make 
an  appropriation  of  that  sum  for  this  purpose. 

Measures  were  at  once  taken  to  secure  the  passage  of 
an  Act,  making  this  appropriation.  In  the  Senate,  the 
interests  of  the  school  would  be  ably  represented  by  Colonel 
Gregg,  who  had  labored  so  efficiently  for  the  passage  of 
the  first  appropriation,  and  in  the  House,  where  the  great- 
est difficulty  was  anticipated,  the  College  was  fortunate  in 
having  the  aid  of  the  local  member,  Wm.  C.  Duncan, 
whose  intelligent  appreciation  of  the  necessities  of  agri- 
cultural practice,  and  the  financial  difficulties  of  the  In- 
stitution, made  him  an  able  advocate  in  its  favor. 

A  few  days  after  the  close  of  the  Session  of  1860,  the 
bill  to  appropriate  $50,000,  was  read  in  place  by  Wm. 
C.  Duncan,  in  the  House  of  Kepresentatives,  and  referred 
to  the  Committee  of  Ways  and  Means.  The  Trustees  of 
the  College  appeared  before  that  Committee,  and  stated 
the  aims,  objects,  financial  difficulties,  and  necessities  of 
the  School.  After  the  usual  delays  and  hinderances  com- 
mon to  legislation,  the  committee  rendered  a  unanimous 
report  in  favor  of  the  bill,  and  it  only  remained  to  bring 
it  up  for  a  second  reading,  to  test  the  feeling  of  the  House 
upon  its  merits. 

In  the  meantime,  Mr.  Duncan  had  espoused  the  cause 
of  the  bill  with  an  earnestness,  and  efficiency  of  action, 
and  honesty  of  purpose  which  satisfied  all  its  friends,  that 
they  were  very  fortunate  in  being  able  to  intrust  it  to 
his  hands.  His  honesty  and  uprightness  of  character, 
and  personal  acquaintance  with  all  the  leading  friends  of 
the  school,  and  his  knowledge  of  its  necessity  were  suffi- 
cient guarantees  to  his  fellow  members,  that  the  money 
asked  for  was  needed  for  the  purpose  stated,  and  not  for 
aggrandizement  of  individual  or  local  interests. 

Several  of  the  County  Agricultural  Societies  sent  in 
letters  and  resolutions  to  the  Representatives,  urging  the 
passage  of  the  bill,  while  prominent  friends  of  agricultu- 
ral reform,  from  all  parts  of  the  State,  either  by  letters 
to  members  in  the  Legislature,  or  by. visiting  Harrisburg 


OF  PENNSYLVANIA.  41 

and  by  talking  with  them  themselves,  advocated  the  passage 
of  the  bill,  and  the  political  press,  without  regard  to  party, 
with  singular  unanimity  united  with  the  agricultural  press 
in  urging  the  claims  of  the  bill  upon  the  Representatives 
of  the  people  of  our  great  Agricultural  State.  The  bill 
was  finally  brought  to  its  second  reading,  when  it  passed 
with  an  overwhelming  majority.  A  vote  to  suspend  the 
rules  which  forbid  the  reading  of  the  same  bill  twice  in 
the  same  day,  was  carried  and 

The  bill  was  read  the  third  time,  and  thus  passed  the 
House. 

Col.  Gregg  had  always  assured  the  Trustees  that  if 
the  bill  passed  the  lower  House,  he  would  have  no  diffi- 
culty in  securing  its  passage  through  the  Senate, — there- 
fore, a  few  days  after  it  passed  the  House,  it  passed  the 
Senate,  and  received  the  signature  of  the  Governor,  and 
became  a  law. 

Thus  a  great  Agricultural  State  was  saved  the  disgrace 
of  allowing  an  Agricultural  College  it  had  attempted  to 
found,  to  break  up  in  the  act  of  being  founded,  and  $150, 
000  worth  of  property  that  was  collected  for  this  purpose, 
was  saved  from  being  sacrificed,  and  on  the  other  hand, 
our  old  Commonwealth  has  succeeded  in  bringing  the  first 
Agricultural  School  in  the  United  States  into  successful 
operation. 

Amongst  those  not  members  of  the  House  who  con- 
tributed to  this  result,  the  name  of  Hon.  James  T.  Hale 
deserves  especial  mention  as  having  by  his  great  influence 
as  a  public  man,  and  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees, 
done  much  for  the  passage  of  the  bill;  as  also  did  all  the 
members  of  the  Board,  and  most  particularly  the  business 
committee,  who  were  prepared  at  all  times  to  leave  their 
own  pressing  duties  as  professional  men  at  home,  to  attend 
to  the  advocacy  of  the  bill  while  before  the  Legislature. 

The  bill  passed  the  Senate  on  the  10th  of  April,  1861. 
Fort  Sumter  was  bombarded  about  this  time,  and  the 
country  was  in  the  midst  of  the  excitement  consequent 
thereon . 

The  Board  met  at  the  school,  May  1st,  1861,  and  not- 
withstanding the  disturbed  state  of  the  country,  caused 


42  AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGE 

by  the  rebellion,  determined  to  proceed  at  once  to  the 
completion  of  the  building. 

COMPLETION   OF   THE   COLLEGE    BUILDINGS. 

To  this  end,  Messrs.  Watts,  McAllister  and  Pugh  were 
appointed  a  committee  to  examine  the  plans  for  the  build- 
ing, and  to  make  such  modifications  of  them,  as  might 
seem  advisable,  and  to  take  measures  to  have  the  walls  up 
and  the  building  roofed  by  the  first  of  the  following  No- 
vember. 

The  committee  at  once  advertised  for  sealed  proposals 
to  do  the  whole,  or  any  part  of  the  work,  of  putting  up 
the  building. 

On  opening  the  proposals  thus  obtained,  that  of  George 
W.  Tate  of  Bellefonte,  was  considered  the  most  reasonable, 
and  the  committee  at  once  articled  with  him  to  complete 
the  entire  building,  excepting  some  items  specified,  for  the 
sum  of  $41,500 — the  building  to  be  under  roof  by  the  first 
of  November,  1861,  and  to  be  entirely  completed  by  the 
first  of  December,  1862. 

The  work  of  erecting  the  building  was  at  once  com- 
menced, and  has  been  steadily  progressing  up  to  the 
present  time,  September,  1862. 

THE    THIRD   SESSION. 

The  third  session  of  the  College  was  opened  under  pecu- 
liarly unfavorable  circumstances.  The  country  was  in 
that  ominous  calm  that  preceded  the  storm  of  rebellion, 
which  has  since  broken  upon  it.  The  work  of  finishing 
the  College  had  been  so  long  delayed,  that  the  public  began 
to  doubt  the  probability  of  its  being  finished  at  all,  and  it 
was  evident  to  all,  if  the  buildings  were  not  finished,  the 
School  must  go  down. 

Many  doubted  its  ability  to  survive  the  third  session, 
and  some  parents  even  hesitated  to  pay  money  in  advance 
for  tuition,  lest  it  should  be  lost  by  the  school  being  broken 
up.  There  were,  however,  many  earnest  friends  of  the 
movement,  who  never  doubted  even,  at  this  time,  the 
ultimate  success  of  the  school,  and  the  timely  action  of  the 
Legislature  tended  to  restore  the  confidence  of  those  who 


OF  PENNSYLVANIA.  43 

had  before  doubted.  But  the  result  of  this  inauspicious 
opening  of  the  college  was  that  for  the  first  time  it  was  not 
filled  with  students,  although  eighty-eight  were  recorded 
in  the  third  annual  catalogue,  published  at  the  close  of  the 
session. 

This  session  will  always  be  interesting  to  the  students 
of  the  college  as  being  that  at  the  close  of  which  the  first 
class  was  graduated.  This  was  also  the  first  class  that 
graduated  at  an  Agricultural  College  in  the  United  States, 
and  they  graduated  upon  a  higher  scientific  educational 
standard  than  is  required  at  any  other  Agricultural  College 
in  the  world.  They  had  completed  their  course  in  three 
years,  owing  to  their  having  entered  the  third  class  the  first 
year.  In  1858,  the  class  had  fifty-five  students  in  it,  and 
in  1861  it  was  reduced  to  seventeen,  and  only  eleven  of 
these  completed  their  course,  passed  their  examination, 
and  took  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Scientific  Agriculture. 
The  following  are  the  names. 

James  Miles,  Jr.,  Erie  Co.;  A.  C.  Church,  Luzerne  Co.; 
J.  W.  Eckman,  Lebanon ;  Samuel  Holliday,  Erie  Co. ;  E. 
P.  McCormick,  Clinton  Co.;  M.  S.  Lytle,  Huntingdon; 
John  N.  Banks,  Juniata;  J.  D.  Isett,  Huntingdon;  L.  C. 
Troutman,  Philadelphia;  C.  A.  Smith,  Berks;  C.  E.  Trout- 
man,  Philadelphia. 

The  present  session  was  opened  on  the  19th  of  February, 
1862,  and  is  now  more  than  half  completed ;  the  college  is 
full,  notwithstanding  the  disturbed  state  of  the  country, 
and  all  its  affairs  are  working  more  satisfactorily  than 
they  have  ever  done  before. 

CHANGE  OF   NAME. 

The  name  "  Farmers'  High  School  of  Pennsylvania," 
originated  partly  in  a  feeling  that  farmers  might  be  pre- 
judiced against  the  word  "college"  as  that  of  a  place  where 
boys  only  contracted  idle  habits,  and  partly  with  the  idea  of 
founding  a  small  institution,  with  a  limited  course  of  instruc- 
tion, similar  to  the  Agricultural  Schools  of  Europe,  which 
are  subordinate  to  the  Agricultural  Colleges  there. 

But  the  school,  on  being  organized,  adopted  a  course  of 
instruction  in  mathematics  and  the  natural  sciences,  more 


/ 

44  AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGE 

extensive  than  that  in  any  Agricultural  College  of  Europe, 
and  a  correspondingly  longer  time  devoted  -to  study  was 
required  for  graduating.  Its  organization  had  been  upon 
a  collegiate  basis  from  the  beginning,  and  the  Trustees  only 
awaited  the  time  in  which  they  would  be  able  to  complete 
its  buildings,  to  change  its  name.  Therefore,  at  the  soli- 
citation of  the  faculty,  and  on  the  recommendation  of  the 
President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  H.  N.  McAllister  made 
application  to  the  Centre  County  Court,  at  its  spring 
session,  1862,  for  a  change  of  name,  to  the  "Agricultural 
College  of  Pennsylvania."  The  Court  granted  the  request, 
and  the  name  as  changed  was  approved  by  the  Board  at 
its  next  meeting  convened  at  Harrisburg,  May  6th,  1862. 
At  this  meeting  it  was  resolved  that  a  committee  of  three* 
be  appointed  to  prepare  a  history  of  the  origin  of  the  Ag- 
ricultural College  of  Pennsylvania,  as  also  to  state  its  aims, 
object,  progress,  and  present  condition  and  prospects.  In 
accordance  with  this  resolution,  the  present  pamphlet  has 
been  prepared. 

The  history  of  the  College  here  closes  in  the  events  of 
the  active  present  to  which  attention  will  next  be  drawn. 
The  secret  of  its  success,  it  will  have  been  seen,  is  to  be 
found  in  the  indomitable  perseverance  of  a  small' number 
of  public-spirited  men,  who  were  determined  it  should  not 
fail. 

As  shown  by  the  foregoing  historical  sketch,  the  Agri- 
cultural College  of  Pennsylvania  has  been  in  operation  for 
four  years.  Its  organization  and  means  of  accomplishing 
the  object  for  which  it  was  founded,  have  been  very  im- 
perfect, owing  to  unfinished  buildings  and  want  of  funds. 
Yet  it  has  received  a  degree  of  patronage  unprecedented  in 
the  history  of  Agricultural  Colleges.  It  has  been  filled 
with  students  every  session,  except  that  of  1861,  and  many 
have  applied  from  other  states,  who  could  not  be  admitted. 
With  this  success  amidst  the  difficulties  of  the  past,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  of  its  ultimate  success  in  the  future,  now 
that  its •  college  buildings  are  completed  and  the  Agricul- 
tural College  bill  has  passed  Congress. 

*  This  Committee  consisted  of  the  Hons.  Fred.  Watts  and  A.  0.  Hiester,  with 
myself.  It  is  due  to  these  gentlemen,  to  state  that  their  professional  duties  pre- 
vented them  from  giving  special  attention  to  the  work,  and,  therefore,  for  any  in- 
accuracies or  imperfections  in  it,  I  alone  am  responsible.  E.  Pugh. 


OF   PENNSYLVANIA.  45 


#bfcct  0i  tlte  f tt^tituttott. 

After  what  has  already  been  said  it  would  seem  superflu- 
ous to  dwell  here  upon  the  object  of  this  institution,  yet  a 
few  words  in  detail,  may  throw  light  upon  what  has  been 
said.  The  Agricultural  College  of  Pennsylvania  has  for 
its  object,  to  associate  a  high  degree  of  intelligence  with  the 
practice  of  Agriculture  and  the  industrial  arts,  and  to  seek 
to  make  use  of  this  intelligence  in  developing  the  agricul- 
tural and  industrial  resources  of  the  country,  and  pro- 
tecting its  interests.  It  proposes  to  do  this  by  several 
means. 

1st.  As  &  purely  educational  institution,  its  course  of  in- 
struction is  to  include  the  entire  range  of  the  Natural 
Sciences  ;  but  will  embrace  most  especially  those  that  have* 
a  practical  bearing  upon  the  every  day  duties  of  life,  in 
order  to  make  the  student  familiar  with  the  things  immedi- 
ately around  him,  and  with  the  powers  of  nature  he  employs, 
and  with  the  material  through  the  instrumentality  of  which, 
under  the  blessing  of  Providence,  he  lives  and  moves  and 
has  his  being:  and  since  agriculture  more  than  any  other 
of  the  industrial  arts,  is  important  to  man,  and  since  for  the 
complete  elucidation  of  its  principles  more  scientific  know- 
ledge is  required  than  for  all  other  industrial  arts  combined, 
it  follows  that  this  should  receive  by  far  the  highest  degree 
of  attention.  The  course  of  instruction  is  thorough,  so 
that  it  hot  only  affords  the  student  the  facts  of  science, 
but  it  disciplines  his  mind  to  habits  of  thought,  and  en- 
bles  him  fully  to  comprehend  the  abstract  principles  in- 
volved in  the  practical  operations  of  life.  In  doing  this  it 
is  not  deemed  possible  to  educate  every  agriculturist,  arti- 
san, mechanic,  and  business  man  in  the  state,  but  to  send 
out  a  few  students  educated  in  the  college  course  that  they, 
by  the  influence  of  precept  and  example,  may  infuse  new 
life  and  intelligence  into  the  several  communities  they 
enter.  A  single  individual  who  is  thoroughly  educated  in 
the  principles  and  the  practice  of  an  art,  followed  by  a  com- 
munity, will  often  exert  a  more  salutary  influence  upon 
the  practice  of  this  art,  by  the  community,  than  would  re- 


46  AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGE 

suit  from  sending  the  whole  community  to  a  school  of  lower 
order  than  that  which  he  attended.  A  single  practical 
school  of  the  highest  order  in  Paris  (the  Ecole  Poly  technique) 
during  the  last  generation  made  France  a  nation  celebrated 
alike  for  profound  philosophers,  great  statesmen,  able  ge- 
nerals and  military  men,  and  civil  engineers.  If  one  high 
school  is  established,  subordinate  schools  affording  the 
elementary  education  of  the  latter,  will  follow  in  due  time. 

2d.  As  a  Practical  Institution  the  Agricultural  College 
of  Pennsylvania  has  adopted  the  fundamental  principle, 
that  whatever  is  necessary  for  man  to  have  done,  it  is 
honorable  for  man  to  do,  and  that  the  grades  of  honor  at- 
taching to  all  labor,  are  dependent  upon  the  talent,  the  care 
and  fidelity  exhibited  in  performing  it.  It  is  further  con- 
sidered essential  as  a  part  of  a  student's  education  that  he  be 
taught  the  practical  application,  in  the  field  and  laboratory, 
of  the  principles  he  studies  in  the  class-room ;  and  manual 
labor  is  also  necessary  for  the  preservation  of  health,  and 
the  maintenance  of  habits  of  industry.  An  incidental,  but 
not  unimportant  result  of  the  operation  of  these  principles 
is  a  reduction  of  the  cost  of  tuition  by  the  value  of  the 
labor,  so  that  the  college  can  take  students  at  the  present 
very  low  rates  of  admission. 

All  students  without  regard  to  pecuniary  circumstances, 
are  therefore  obliged  to  perform  manual  labor  as  an  essen- 
tial part  of  the  college  education  and  discipline  and  train- 
ing. In  these  respects  consists  a  most  essential  difference 
between  the  idea  associated  with  manual  labor  at  this 
college,  and  that  of  all  other  attempts  made  heretofore  to 
combine  manual  labor  with  study.  Instead  of  the  idea 
of  poverty  and  want  being  associated  with  those  who  labor, 
that  of  laziness,  worthlessness,  and  vagabondry  is  asso- 
ciated with  those  who  refuse  to  work  efficiently,  and  the 
experience  of  the  institution  has  already  most  assuredly 
shown  that  no  young  man,  of  whom  there  is  any  hope  for 
future  usefulness  and  efficiency  in  life  at  all,  is  insensible 
to  the  disgrace  which  thus  attaches  to  lazy  vagabonds  who 
will  work  only  as  they  are  watched,  and  cheat  their  fellow 
students  by  refusing  to  do  their  share  of  the  labor  assigned 


OF   PENNSYLYANIA.  47 

them;  and  nothing  is  more  conclusively  settled  than  that 
those  students  who  are  the  most  studious  and  industrious 
in  class,  work  the  most  efficiently  and  are  the  most  trust- 
worthy in  the  performance  of  their  daily  three  hours'  work. 

3d.  As  cm  Experimental  Institution,  the  Agricultural 
College  of  Pennsylvania  has  an  unbounded  fielc|  for  labor. 
The  principles  of  Agricultural  science,  which  shall  ulti- 
mately constitute  the  subject  of  instruction  in  its  class- 
rooms, are  as  yet  only  very  imperfectly  developed,  and  so 
great  is  the  labor,  expense,  and  time  involved  in  making 
scientific  agricultural  experiments,  that  as  yet  little  has 
been  done  in  this  direction.  In  the  embarrassed  condition 
of  the  finances  of  the  college,  it  has  not  been  possible  to 
employ  more  scientific  aid  than  was  absolutely  necessary 
to  maintain  a  proper  degree  of  efficiency  in  the  educational 
and  practical  departments,  nor  could  the  other  expenses  re- 
quisite for  extended  scientific  investigation  be  met  with 
the  means  heretofore  at  the  disposal  of  the  Board;  a  few  ex- 
periments upon  the  manufacture,  preservation,  and  use  of 
manures  for  the  growth  of  crops,  have,  however,  been  in- 
augurated, while  corresponding  initiatory  steps  have  been 
taken  to  experiment  in  other  departments.  It  is  most 
earnestly  to  be  hoped  that  the  recent  appropriation  of  public 
lands  by  Congress  to  the  state  for  agricultural  purposes  will 
afford  means  for  the  development  of  this  department  of  the 
institution.  The  development  of  no  other  department 
would  yield  richer  and  more  lasting  results,  or  would  confer 
more  substantial  benefit  upon  agricultural  practice  than 
this.  It  must  not,  however,  be  supposed  that  these  results 
will  manifest  themselves  at  once,  or  that  they  will  pay  as 
experiments  are  being  made :  as  well  might  the  farmer  ex- 
pect to  reap  his  crop  the  day  he  sows  his  grain.  They  will, 
however,  ultimately  pay  a  thousand  fold,  as  have  the  prac- 
tical application  of  the  sciences  of  electricity,  heat  and 
optics,  in  the  present  day,  paid  for  the  half  century  of  ap- 
parently unpractical,  purely  scientific  investigations  that 
led  to  the  results  now  obtained  through*  them. 

4th.  As  a  means  of  protecting  the  industrial  interests  of  the 
State,  and  most  especially  the  agricultural  interest,  from  the 
sale  of  bad  or  worthless  or  too  high  priced  material  (as 


48  AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGES. 

manures,  seeds,  plants,  and  implements  used  in  agricultural 
practice.)  The  only  efficient  means  of  accomplishing  this 
object  is  to  diffuse  a  higher  degree  of  intelligence,  and  a 
more  extended  scientific  knowledge  amongst  farmers :  for  so 
long  as  they  are  unacquainted  with  the  principles  of  agri- 
cultural science,  there  will  be  quacks  and  impostors,  and 
ignorant  empiricists,  who  will  prevail  on  them  to  in- 
vest at  least  a  little  money  in  some  new  manure,  seed, 
plants  or  other  things,  in  the  hope  of  realizing  the  large  gain 
from  it,  that  they  are  told  will  follow  its  use.  Farmers 
have  satisfactory  means  of  testing  agricultural  implements, 
and  they  also  can  test  seeds  and  plants  with  a  good  de- 
gree of  satisfaction,  but  their  methods  of  testing  manures, 
chemical  salts,  guanoes,  phosphates,  poudrettes  and  other 
similar  articles  are  very  imperfect,  and  hence  we  find  that 
the  market  is  filled  with  worthless  or  very  high  priced 
manures,  such  as  the  farmer  never  would  purchase,  if  he 
knew  their  composition  and  real  value.  A  beginning  has 
already  been  made  towards  making  known  the  character  of 
some  of  these  manures,  and  although  it  is  not  expected  that 
such  work  can  be  accomplished  without  opposition  from 
parties  interested  in  their  sale,  there  is  no  doubt  that  before 
long  all  the  bad  manures  will  be  driven  from  the  market,  and 
good  ones,  better  and  cheaper  than  the  best  and  cheapest 
now  sold,  will  take  their  place.  In  order  to  hasten  this  time 
farmers  are  requested  and  particularly  urged  to  purchase  no 
high  priced  artificial  manures  without  having  a  legal  gua- 
rantee with  it,  that  it  shall  contain  a  specified  amount  of  va- 
luable matter,  equal  in  value  to  what  is  paid  for  the  manure. 

It  will  require  some  years  to  fully  develop  and  perfect 
all  these  departments,  but  the  success  which  has  thus  far 
already  attended  the  undertaking,  and  the  progress  that  has 
already  been  made,  afford  the  most  satisfactory  reason  for 
hope  that  all  that  was  anticipated  by  the  founders  of  the 
institution,  and  much  more,  will  ultimately  be  realized  in  it. 


THE  COLLEGE 

AS  IT  WILL  BE  IN  OPERATION  NEXT  YEAR,  1863. 


§uMmpt 

The  main  college  building  is  a  stately  and  substantial 
edifice  constructed  of  a  silicious  magnesian  limestone  of  ex- 
cellent quality  for  building  purposes.  It  consists  of  a  cen- 
tral part  and  two  wings  connected  with  the  latter  by  cur- 
tains. The  central  part  and  the  wings  facing  on  the  same 
line,  234  feet  long  in  front,  and  the  central  part  resting  on 
54  feet  of  the  front  line,  and  extending  back  130  feet,  the 
two  wings  each  resting  on  42  feet  of  the  front  line,  and  ex- 
tending back  81  feet.  "While  the  two  curtains  each  occupy 
48  feet  on  a  line  parallel  to  the  front  line,  but  ten  feet 
back  from  it,  the  curtains  extend  back  56  feet.  The 
building  has  five  stories  above  a  commodious  basement. 
Each  story  has  a  large  hall  running  from  one  end  to  the 
other,  parallel  with  the  front  line,  and  extending  through 
the  middle  of  the  curtains.  From  this  hall,  and  at  right 
angles  with  it,  three  halls  extend  back,  one  on  the  middle 
line  of  the  central  part,  and  one  in  each  end  wing;  on  each 
side  of  these  halls,  doors  opens  into  dormitories,  recitation- 
rooms,  museums,  &c.  The  entire  building  embraces  165 
dormitories,  ten  by  eighteen  square  and  nine  to  eleven  feet 
high ;  a  library  room,  twenty-four  by  forty-six;  geological  and 
mineralogical  museum,  twenty- four  by  forty-six ;  anatomical 
museum,  twenty-six  by  thirty-six;  museum  of  agricultural 
productions,  twenty-four  by  twenty;  chemical  laboratory 
for  beginners,  in  basement  twenty-four  by  fifty-six,  and  two 
laboratories  on  the  first  story,  each  twenty  by  forty,  for  more 
advanced  students ;  two  lecture  rooms,  each  twenty-six  by 
thirty-four  feet;  four  recitation  rooms,  each  twenty  by 
thirty-four  feet;  and  several  smaller  rooms  for  apparatus  for 
special  scientific  investigations,  and  for  store  rooms;  also  a 
large  room  eighty  feet  long  and  twenty-eight  feet  wide  for 


50  AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGE 

a  chapel,  arid  two  rooms,  each  fifty-six  feet  long  and  twenty 
wide,  for  society  halls ;  and  the  entire  back  central  part, 
forty-eight  feet  wide  and  eighty  feet  long,  on  first  story,  for 
kitchen  and  dining-room,  and  a  room  on  the  first  story 
twenty  by  thirty-six  feet,  for  an  elementary  or  preparatory 
department,  with  an  adjoining  recitation-room,  fifteen  by 
twenty  feet.  The  basement  is  mainly  to  be  devoted  to  coal 
and  hot-air  furnaces,  of  which  there  will  be  sixteen  of  the 
largest  size,  from  which  heated  air  is  conveyed  in  separate 
flues  to  every  room  in  the  building.  All  the  rooms  are  also 
ventilated  by  flues  extending  to  the  top  of  the  building 
from  each  room.  The  basement  also  contains  the  laboratory 
abova  noted,  in  addition  to  store-rooms,  bake-house,  and 
kitchen  for  culinary  department,  and  three  other  laborato- 
ries for  the  rougher  kinds  of  scientific  work.  The  above,  in 
addition  to  two  reception  parlors,  and  commodious  apart- 
ments for  one  professor  with  family,  and  for  the  family  of 
the  culinary  department,  constitute  the  extent  of  internal 
arrangement  of  the  buildings.  For  commodiousness,  com- 
pleteness of  detail,  and  stability  of  construction  these  build- 
ings are  not  equalled  by  the  buildings  of  any  Agricultural 
College  in  the  world. 

The  other  buildings  embrace, 

1st.  An  excellent  double-decked  barn,  fifty -nine  by 
seventy-five  feet,  and  constructed  upon  the  most  approved 
plan,  with  wagon  shed,  corn  crib,  water  cisterns,  &c. 

2d.  A  large  hog  pen,  with  a  granary  over  it,  twenty-two  by 
eighty-three  feet,  including  also  a  complete  slaughter-house. 

3d.  A  blacksmith  shop,  twenty  by  twenty-eight  feet,  with 
all  the  appliances  for  doing  smith  work. 

4th.  A  carpenter  shop  and  tool  house,  sixteen  by  forty- 
four  feet. 

5th.  Wash  house.  This  building  is  sixteen  by  forty  feet, 
situated  near  the  barn,  and  is  fitted  up  for  washing  the 
students'  clothes. 

6th.  Two  frame  dwelling-houses,  one  twenty-eight  by 
twenty-eight  feet,  now  occupied  by  the  carpenter  and  Su- 
perintendent of  the  washing  department,  and  the  other, 
thirty-two  by  forty -four,  occupied  by  the  professor  of  botany; 
in  connexion  with  the  latter  house  is  a  small  green-house, 
with  choice  native  and  foreign  plants. 


OF  PENNSYLVANIA.  51 


(E>mxm  fit  ^tufe 

The  full  course  embraces  four  years,  but  students  can 
enter  any  part  of  the  course  dependent  upon  their  degree  of 
advancement. 

The  first  year  the  Student  studies  Arithmetic,  Ele- 
mentary Algebra,  Horticulture,  Elementary  Anatomy  and 
Physiology,  Physical  Geography  and  Elementary  Astro- 
nomy, English  Grammar  and  Composition,  Elocution,  His- 
tory, Practical  Agriculture  and  the  details  of  management 
on  the  College  Farm.  Students,  who  have  mastered  the 
common  school  branches,  will  be  prepared  to  enter  the 
classes  of  this  year.  In  order  to  be  fully  prepared  for  it, 
they  are  advised  to  pay  particular  attention  to  Grammar, 
Geography,  Reading,  Writing,  Spelling  and  Arithmetic. 

Second  year — Advanced  Algebra  and  Geometry,  Gene- 
ral Chemistry,  Vegetable  Anatomy  and  Physiology,  Zoo- 
logy and  Veterinary,  Geology,  Paleontology,  Practical  Agri- 
culture and  Horticulture,  Logic  and  Rhetoric.  Students 
who  are  sufficiently  far  advanced  in  Algebra,  Geometry 
and  English  Grammar,  are  admitted  to  this  class,  without 
respect  to  the  other  studies  of  the  first  year. 

Third  year — Surveying,  Navigation,  Levelling,  Drafting 
with  the  use  of  Instruments,  Analytical  Geometry,  Trigono- 
metry, Elementary  Calculus,  Natural  Philosophy,  Chemi- 
cal Analysis,  Veterinary  Surgery,  Entomology,  Agricultu- 
ral Botany,  Practical  Agriculture  and  Pomology,  Political 
and  Social  Economy.  Students  who  have  mastered  Davies' 
Legendre  and  Trigonometry,  and  who  possess  a  corre- 
sponding degree  of  knowledge  of  the  English  branches 
generally,  and  who  have  gone  through  a  good  academical 
text  book  course  of  Natural  Science,  are  admitted  to  this 
class. 

Fourth  year. — Analytical  Geometry,  Differential  and 
Integral  Calculus,  Engineering,  Drafting,  Mechanical  Draw- 
ing, Quantitative  Chemical  Analysis,  Veterinary  Phar- 
macy, Gardening,  Agricultural  accounts  and  Farm  Ma- 
nagement, Moral  and  Intellectual  Philosophy. 

The  ability  to  enter  this  year's  courses,  is  dependent  so 


52  AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGE 

much  on  the  Students  having  gone  through  the  studies  of  the 
preceding  year,  and  the  latter  being  peculiar  to  an  Agri- 
cultural College,  of  which  there  are  no  others  in  the  coun- 
try, no  students  prepared  to  enter  it  are  likely  to  apply. 
Students  who  successfully  complete  this  course  of  studies, 
and  pass  a  satisfactory  examination,  and  prepare  a  disser- 
tation of  not  less  than  fifteen  pages  of  foolscap  paper,  upon 
some  scientific  or  literary  subject,  (if  scientific,  it  must  em- 
brace an  original  investigation)  approved  by  the  faculty, 
and  whose  general  standing  in  the  school  shall  have  b'  °n 
good,  shall  upon  the  recommendation  of  the  faculty,  have 
the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Scientific  and  Practical  Agricul- 
ture, B.  S.  A.  conferred  upon  them  by  the  Board  of  Trus- 
tees of  the  College. 

Fifth  year. — Students  who  after  having  taken  the  de- 
gree of  B.  S.  A.  shall  devote  three  years  to  Practical  Agri- 
culture, or  to  any  intellectual  pursuit  or  profession,  shall 
take  the  degree  of  Master  of  Scientific  or  Practical  Agri- 
culture, M.  S.  A.,  or,  if  they  remain  another  year  in  the 
Institution,  and  devote  their  time  to  special  investigation, 
they  can  take  this  degree  at  the  terminatien  of  the  year. 

Private  Laboratories  with  means  for  investigation,  will 
be  fitted  up  for  graduates  of  this  or  any  other  College,  in 
which  to  pursue  prolonged,  special,  scientific  investigation. 
Graduates  of  Literary  Colleges,  who  may  only  have  pur- 
sued an  ordinary  text  book  course  in  science,  and  who  wish 
to  devote  some  time  more  especially  to  science,  in  connex- 
ion with  agricultural  practice,  can  take  any  part  of  the 
above  course,  or  devote  themselves  to  scientific  investiga- 
tion with  the  graduates  of  the  fifth  year,  at  the  same  time 
they  are  familiarizing  themselves  with  the  details  of  agri- 
cultural practice  on  the  farm. 

SCIENTIFIC   EXCURSIONS. 

The  valley  and  neighboring  mountains  afford  rare  oppor- 
tunities for  botanical  study ;  and  for  Physical  Geography, 
Paleontology  and  Geology.     This  district  is  unsurpassed 


OF  PENNSYLVANIA.  53 

by  any  other  in  the  country.  The  great  Synclinal  and 
Anticlinal  Palaeozic  waves  east  of  the  Alleghenies,  are 
here  shown  in  every  variety  of  position  and  angle  of  inclina- 
tion, while  good  outcrops  of  nearly  all  the  subdivisions  of  the 
palrczoic  rocks  from  the  lowest  to  the  coal  measure,  are  to  be 
seen.  Frequent  excursions  are  made  with  classes  to  observe 
them. 

Mathematics. — A  transit  instrument  of  first  quality  for 
field  work,  ordinary  surveying  apparatus,  with  compass,  for 
the  use  of  Students,  and  Mathematical  figures  and  forms  for 
illustrating  Geometrical  and  Crystallographic  principles. 

Natural  Philosophy. — Large  Electrical  Machine,  Air- 
Pumps,  Magnetic  Machine,  Galvanic  Batteries,  an  exten- 
sive collection  of  apparatus  for  illustrating  the  principles 
of  Optics,  Statics,  Dynamics,  Mechanics,  Pneumatics,  &c., 
and  opportunities  are  offered  for  Students  learning  to  use 
this  apparatus  themselves. 

Chemistry. — A  large  collection  of  apparatus  adapted  to 
the  lecture  room  and  class  recitations,  for  illustrating  prin- 
ciples by  experiments;  also,  a  large  Chemical  Laboratory 
for  beginners,  and  two  other  smaller  Laboratories,  each 
affording  room  for  twenty-four  more  advanced  Students, 
and  several  private  Laboratories  for  special  agricultural 
scientific  investigation,  all  fitted  up  with  the  aids  and 
appliances  of  the  best  German  Laboratories,  where  the 
Students  may  pursue  a  thorough  course  of  qualitative 
and  quantitative  analysis.  Also,  collections  of  Marls, 
artificial  Manures,  Limestones,  Ores,  Minerals,  &c.,  from 
different  localities  of  America  and  Europe. 

Botany. — Herbariums  with  extensive  collections  of  Ame- 
rican and  European  plants;  microscopes;  a  botanical 
garden  and  green  house  with  native  and  foreign  plants;- 
nursery  for  practice  in  budding,  grafting,  &c. ;  and  anato- 
mical preparations  for  illustrating  vegetable  structures. 
The  neighboring  flora,  embracing,  as  it  does,  the  wide  range 
of  the  valley  and  mountain  soil,  affords  excellent  opportu- 
nities for  botanical  excursions, 

Geology  and  Paleontology, — A  collection  of  nearly  six 
5 


54  AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGE 

thousand  specimens  of  rocks,  limestones,  fossils,  ores,  &c., 
collected  from  all  parts  of  the  State, — together  with  a  large 
collection  from  Europe.  The  neighborhood  is  one  of  the 
finest  in  the  world  for  the  study  of  the  numerous  subdivi- 
sions of  the  Palaeozoic  rocks,  from  the  "primal"  to  the 
"serai"  of  Kogers,  in  all  of  which  the  Student  will  have 
an  opportunity  of  obtaining  good  specimens  on  geological 
excursions. 

Mineralogy  and  Crystallography. — A  good  collection, 
embracing  specimens  of  all  the  ordinary  minerals  known, 
and  many  rare  specimens;  also,  collections  of  models,  of 
crystals,  blow-pipe  apparatus  for  mineral  testing,  &c. 

Practical  Agriculture  and  Horticulture. — A  farm  of  four 
hundred  acres  limestone  land  of  excellent  natural  quality, 
coming  into  a  good  state  of  cultivation,  with  all  the  tools, 
implements,  and  machines  for  efficient  farm  practice,  (see 
P.  60)  Experiments  with  all  the  chemical  elements  of 
manures  are  carried  out  every  session,  for  the  purpose  of 
illustrating  the  effect  of  each  element  alone  and  in  combi- 
nation, as  also  experiments  as  to  the  time  of  planting  and 
sowing  seeds,  and  applying  manures.  Each  Student  will 
have  an  opportunity  of  learning  all  the  varied  operations 
of  ordinary  farm,  garden  and  nursery  work,  in  connexion 
with  the  management  of  farm  stock.  A  small  nursery 
is  especially  devoted  to  practice  for  Students.  There  are 
also  extensive  vineyard,  orchards,  &c. 

Library. — An  extensive  collection  of  choice  literary  and 
scientific  works,  with  maps,  diagrams,  and  charts,  are  ac- 
cessible to  the  Student. 

Reading  Room. — A  comfortable  room  with  all  the  lead- 
ing scientific  and  literary  papers  and  journals,  is  set  apart 
for  a  reading  room  in  the  building. 

Students'  Societies. — There  has  been  in  the  Institution 
from  the  time  of  its  first  organization,  two  Students'  Socie- 
ties, the  "  Cresson  Literary "  and  the  "  Washington  Agri- 
cultural" Societies.  Each  Society  has  a  large  and  com- 
modious room  in  which  to  hold  its  meetings,  as  also  adjoin- 
ing rooms  for  libraries,  all  fitted  up  in  appropriate  style  by 
the  members  of  the  respective  Societies. 


OF   PENNSYLVANIA.  00 

The  character  of  the  full  Course  of  Studies  is  sufficiently 
indicated  by  what  has  just  been  given  in  relation  to  them. 
They  are  arranged  to  combine  the  study  of  Scientific  prin- 
ciples with  their  practical  application. 

The  Student  studies  each  of  the  several  sciences  purely 
as  a  scientific  study,  and  then  his  attention  is  devoted  to 
their  practical  application  to  agriculture  and  the  industrial 
arts.  For  example,  he  studies  the  science  of  Chemistry 
in  the  class-room  and  laboratory,  until  he  is  able  to  analyze 
all  the  substances  that  will  be  presented  to  him,  as  ores, 
rocks  and  minerals  for  the  miner;  slags,  fuel,  metals  and 
alloys  for  the  furnace  operator;  residual  products  for  the 
manufacturing  chemist ;  poisonous  substances  and  abnormal 
secretions  for  the  physician;  adulterated  articles  for  the 
consumer;  and  soils,  marls,  limestones,  phosphates,  guanoes, 
ashes,  and  all  other  articles  used  or  consumed  in  agricul- 
ture for  the  farmer. 

His  attention  is  then  devoted  to  the  agricultural  bear- 
ings of  the  science.  The  manures  found  in  the  market 
are  put  in  his  hands.  He  learns  by  analyzing  them,  to 
distinguish  between  the  good  and  bad,  and  his  labors  are 
so  superintended  that  his  results*  will  be  valuable  to  the 
farmers  of  the  country  when  published.  A  large  number 
of  the  analyses  of  manures  found  in  the  market,  have 
already  been  published.  A  course  of  experiments  upon 
the  farm,  with  different  kinds  of  manures  for  different 
plants,  is  also  being  carried  out,  from  year  to  year,  upon  a 
large  scale;  while  smaller  plots,  with  suitable  manures,  are 
allotted  to  students,  that  they  may  repeat  for  themselves 
the  experiments  of  the  larger  plot  on  a  small  scale,  and 
thus  familiarize  themselves  with  the  experimental  pro- 
cesses by  which,  with  the  use  of  a  few  simple  manures, 
they  may  ascertain  what  soils  need  to  bring  them  to  the 
highest  degree  of  perfection — a  desideratum  once  sought 
by  soil  analyses,  but  never  attained  by  them. 

f  mtkl  Mtntiik  mft  § nuttail  €ow»t 

Experience  has  often  demonstrated  that  many  students 
who  are  incapable  of  making  progress   in   mathematical 


56  AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGE 

studies,  are  well  qualified  for  making  successful  students 
of  the  natural  sciences.  In  order  not  to  prevent  those 
who  may  not  be  able  to  go  through  the  higher  mathema- 
tics of  the  full  course,  from  enjoying  the  benefits  of  the 
natural  sciences  of  the  whole  course,  the  "Partial  Scien- 
tific and  Practical  Course"  has  been  instituted.  Students 
in  this  course  will  pursue  the  same  studies  as  those  of  the 
full  course,  excepting  analytical  geometry,  the  differential 
and  integral  calculus,  and  the  higher  mechanics. 

This  is  designed  for  such  students  as  may  wish  to  remain 
for  a  limited  period  of  time,  in  order  to  see  the  various 
arts  and  operations  of  the  Farm,  Garden  and  Nursery; 
and  at  the  same  time  attend  some  of  the  classes  in  the  Col- 
lege, and  thus  get  a  general  idea  of  the  subjects  taught,  with- 
out studying  them  with  sufficient  thoroughness  to  graduate. 

It  is  intended  more  particularly  for  such  as  may  have  be- 
come too  old,  or  who  are  too  delicate  to  take  the  entire 
course,  but  who  wish  to  acquire  special  practical  and  gene- 
ral scientific  knowledge,  preparatory  to  going  upon  a  farm. 


It  will  be  seen  from  the  above,  that  the  Agricultural 
College  of  Pennsylvania  is  designed  to  occupy  a  place  in 
our  educational  system,  not  heretofore  occupied,  rather 
than  to  come  into  competition  with  any  Educational  Insti- 
tutions already  in  existence.  Its  course  of  studies  and 
practical  operations  are  such  that  the  student  may,  with 
profit,  go  through  the  last  two  years  of  the  latter,  either 
before  or  after  he  has  completed  the  ordinary  course  of  a 
literary  College. 

The  student  has  an  opportunity  of  seeing  all  the  practi- 
cal operations  of  the  Farm,  Garden  and  Nursery  performed 


OF  PENNSYLVANIA.  57 

in  the  most  approved  manner,  with  the  use  of  the  best  ma- 
nures, seeds,  tools,  and  implements ;  and,  what  is  of  more 
importance  than  this,  he  studies  in  the  class-room  and  la- 
boratory, the  scientific  principles  involved  in  all  he  does, 
and  by  becoming  a  scientific  man,  and  analytical  chemist, 
he  is  enabled  to  protect  himself  and  others  against  the 
frauds  and  cheats  that  are  continually  being  practised  upon 
the  uneducated,  by  dealers  who  are  themselves  either  igno- 
rant of  science,  or  who  use  it  to  impose  upon  the  community. 
He  learns  how  to  study  the  geology,  mineralogy,  and  che- 
mistry of  the  soil  he  cultivates,  the  botany  of  the  plant  he 
grows,  and  the  laws  of  health  and  disease  of  the  animals 
he  uses. 

In  a  word,  he  is  made  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the 
laws  and  phenomena  of  the  material  world  with  which  he 
is  in  immediate  contact,  and  about  which  farmers  are  most 
deplorably  ignorant,  but  a  knowledge  of  which  is  essential 
to  their  material  success,  or  intellectual  pleasure,  in  the 
pursuit  of  the  duties  of  rural  life. 

To  persons  in  cities  who  may  wish  their  sons  to  become 
acquainted  with  the  details  of  practical  agriculture  and 
science,  and  at  the  same  time  to  cultivate  the  associations 
of  rural  life,  either  with  a  view  to  ultimately  settling  upon 
farms,  or  to  increasing  their  capacity  for  business  in  town, 
by  the  associations  thus  cultivated  with  the  habits  of  the 
country,  the  Agricultural  College  of  Pennsylvania  affords 
excellent  advantages. 

Persons  wishing  a  good  scientific  and  practical  know- 
ledge of  chemistry,  with  a  view  to  druggistry,  pharmacy,  or 
the  manufacture  of  chemical  salts  or  manures,  or  pursuing 
the  operations  of  mining,  engineering,  or  any  of  the  indus- 
trial arts,  will  find  rare  opportunities  at  a  comparatively 
insignificant  cost  here. 

All  will  find  the  advantages  of  a  most  healthy  and  plea- 
sant location,  in  a  neighborhood  of  good  morals,  free  from 
the  allurements  of  city  or  village  life,  and  of  an  oppor- 
tunity for  forming  acquaintances  with  young  men  of  re- 
spectability from  all  parts  of  the  State. 


58  AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGE 

Qualifications. — Applicants  must  have  attained  the  age 
of  sixteen  years,  and  present  satisfactory  certificates  of 
good  moral  character  and  industrious  habits ;  and  must  also 
have  a  good  knowledge  of  the  elementary  branches  of  .the 
common  school  course. 

On  entering,  they  must  consider  themselves  pledged  to 
conform  to  all  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  Institution, 
among  which  is  the  daily  performance  of  three  hours' 
manual  labor. 

Expenses. — The  sum  of  one  hundred  dollars  must  be 
paid  in  advance,  on  entering.  This,  with  the  labor  above 
specified,  will  meet  all  expenses  for  boarding,  room  rent, 
tuition  and  washing  for  the  term  of  ten  months. 

Applications. — These  may  be  made,  either  by  addressing 
the  President  of  the  Institution  directly,  or  by  applying 
through  the  Agricultural  Society  of  the  county,  in  which 
the  applicant  resides. 

Certificates  of  Character. — These  should  be  signed  by 
the  student's  last  teacher,  the  officers  of  the  Agricultural 
Society  of  the  county  in  which  he  resides,  or  by  some  other 
friend  of  moral  and  agricultural  improvement. 

It  is  the  earnest  desire  of  the  officers  of  the  College  to  fill 
it  with  industrious,  trustworthy  and  gentlemanly  Students, 
whose  sense  of  honor  and  appreciation  of  duty  will  be  a  gua- 
rantee that  they  will  conform  to  its  rules  and  regulations. 

It  is  their  design  to  admit  no  other  than  such. 


In  addition  to  the  one  hundred  dollars  above  specified, 
Students  will  incur  only  the  following  expenses : 

Boohs  and  Stationery. — These  will  be  supplied  at  city 
retail  prices ;  and  will  cost  about  eight  dollars  per  term  for 
the  third  and  fourth  classes,  and  ten  dollars  per  term  for 
the  first  and  second  classes. 

Apparatus. — The  Students  of  the  second  class  will  re- 
quire about  fifteen  dollars'  worth  of  apparatus,  with  which 
to  study  chemical  analysis  in  the  laboratory.     This,  when 


OF   PENNSYLVANIA.  59 

not  damaged,  will  be  taken  back,  if  desired,  at  the  close  of 
the  term,  at  a  reduction  of  twenty-five  per  cent,  on  the 
first  cost.  With  ordinary  care,  when  the  apparatus  is  re- 
turned, the,  cost  of  it  per  term  will  not  exceed  eight  dollars. 

Incidental  Expenses. — A  slight  incidental  expense  will  be 
incurred  for  light,  broom,  towels,  pitcher,  wash  basin,  &c, 
in  all  not  exceeding  five  dollars  per. annum. 

Economy. — As  it  is  desirable  to  impress  upon  Students  the 
necessity  of  forming  habits  of  economy,  parents  are  ad- 
vised not  to  be  too  liberal  in  giving  them  money;  and 
they  are  recommended  to  deposit  such  sums  as  they  may 
intend  for  their  sons  or  wards  in  the  hands  of  the  Faculty, 
who  will  see  that  it  is  not  spent  improperly. 

Clothes. — Each  Student  should  come  prepared  with  an 
additional  suit  of  clothes,  of  common  material,  for  wearing 
while  working  on  the  farm.  As  warm  weather  will  com- 
mence soon  after  the  beginning  of  the  term,  he  should  also 
make  arrangements,  previous  to  entering,  for  a  supply  of 
summer  clothing. 

Although  not  indispensable,  some  delicate  Students  have 
found  an  advantage  in  bringing  with  them  a  thick  com- 
fortable for  their  beds  during  a  few  cold  days  just  after  the 
opening  of  College,  or  near  its  close. 

The  Institution  is  located  in  Centre  County,  near  the 
geographical  centre  of  the  State,  at  a  distance  of  about 
twenty-one  miles  northeast  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad 
at  Spruce  Creek,  and  about  the  same  distance  northwest  of 
it  at  Lewistown,  and  nine  miles  southwest  of  Bellefonte. 
Its  site  embraces  a  limestone  soil  of  good  natural  quality, 
in  a  fine  healthy  district,  affording  a  view  of  the  beautiful 
Penn's  Valley,  in  which  it  is  situated,  and  which,  at  this 
point,  is  about  ten  miles  wide.  On  the  northwest,  at  a 
distance  of  about  six  miles,  is  seen  the  long  range  of  the 
Bald  Eagle  Mountains,  and  beyond  these  the  smoky  sum- 
mits of  the  Alleghenies.  In  the  opposite  .  direction,  at  an 
equal  distance,  are  seen  the  rolling  ridges  of  the  Seven 
Mountains;  while  to  the  southwest,  as  far  as  the  eye  can 


60  AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGES. 

reach,  extends  the  Penn's  Valley,  and  in  the  opposite  di- 
rection, at  the  distance  of  about  three  miles,  Nittany  Moun- 
tain rises  abruptly,  and  divides  it  into  two  valleys,  Penn's 
and  Nittany.  With  these  mountains  in  the  hgrizon,  and 
an  intermediate  landscape  of  five  to  ten  miles,  interspersed 
with  farms  and  timbered  lands,  few  points  in  the  State  af- 
ford finer  views  than  that  from  the  cupola  of  the  College 
buildings. 

The  school  may  be  reached  by  students  or  visitors, 

1st.  By  the  Pennsylvania  Rail  Road  to  Spruce  Creek, 
Lewistown  or  Tyrone.  From  Spruce  Creek  a  stage  leaves 
on  Tuesdays,  Thursdays  and  Saturdays,  passing  the  school 
for  Bellefonte,  and  returning  on  the  intermediate  days. 

Daily  stages  from  Lewistown  and  Tyrone  run  to  Belle- 
fonte, which  latter  place  is  accessible  to  the  school  by  the 
Spruce  Creek  stage,  or  by  livery  accommodation. 

2d.  By  the  Sunbury  and  Erie  Railroad  to  Lock  Haven, 
and  thence  by  stage  to  Bellefonte  and  the  school,  as  just 
mentioned. 

The  Lock  Haven  and  Tyrone  Rail  Road  which  passes 
within  six  miles  of  the  College,  will,  it  is  hoped,  be  finished 
before  the  opening  of  the  next  session.  By  it,  Students 
can  come  to  Bellefonte  from  either  the  Pennsylvania  Cen- 
tral, or  the  Sunbury  and  Erie  Railroad. 

It  is  proposed  here  to  notice  some  implements,  machines, 
&c,  not  before  noticed  in  our  catalogue,  that  have  been 
used  upon  the  farm  and  are  now  to  be  seen  on  the  premises. 

REAPING   MACHINES. 

M'CormicJc's  Combined  Self-raking  Reaper  and  Mower, 
This  machine  did  not  arrive  at  the  college  in  time  to  be 
tested  as  a  mower,  but  two  of  the  Trustees,  Judge  Watts 
and  H.  N.  McAllister,  Esqs.,  speak  of  it  in  the  highest  terms 
as  a  mower.  As  a  reaper,  we  gave  it  a  fair  trial  through 
several  days  in  succession  cutting  heavy  wheat,  the  prin- 
cipal part  of  which  was  lodged,  and  a  great  deal  of  it  was 
very  much  tangled.     It  was  drawn  by  four  mules,  in  charge 


OF   PENNSYLVANIA.  61 

of  one  of  our  most  responsible  students,  (J.  P.  Alexander, 
of  Kishacoquillas)  and  did  its  work  in  the  most  satisfac- 
tory manner.  The  raker  not  only  performs  its  work  of  re- 
moving the  grain  from  the  platform,  but,  by  its  well-adjusted 
motions,  in  front  of  the  knife,  and  near  the  ground,  it 
draws  the  tangled  grain  upon  the  knife,  and  removes  it  the 
instant  it  is  cut  off;  thus  letting  the  machine  down  beneath 
the  lodged  grain,  should  it  by  any  means  have  got  above 
some  of  it,  as  often  happens  with  reapers  when  cutting 
grain  in  the  direction  in  which  it  is  lodged.  The  machine 
was  witnessed  in  operation  by  a  large  number  of  farmers, 
many  of  whom  owned  other  reapers,  and  all  without  excep- 
tion admitted  that  it  was  the  most  complete  reaper  they  had 
ever  seen.  It  is  manufactured  by  McCormick  &  Brothers, 
Chicago,  Illinois.  Cost  of  the  reaper  and  self-raker  attached 
$175,00. 

Pennock's  Iron  Harvester. — This  is  also  a  combined 
reaper  and  mower.  We  used  it  for  several  days  in  our 
grass.  The  ground  was  very  rough,  and  contained  an  un- 
due amount  of  stumps,  roots,  and  stones,  but  the  machine 
did  its  work  quite  satisfactorily;  it  was  drawn  by  two  mules. 
As  a  reaper,  it  was  also  used  to  cut  about  twenty-five  acres 
of  wheat,  which  it  did  very  well.  It  required  three  mules 
to  draw  it,  and  two  students  to  attend  to  it.  This  machine 
is  remarkable  for  the  simplicity  of  its  construction,  and  its 
consequent  security  against  getting  out  of  order,  as  also  for 
its  light  draft. 

It  is  manufactured  by  Pennock  &  Brother,  at  Kennet 
Square,  Chester  County,  Pa.,  and  the  cost  of  the  machine 
is  $135,00. 

Through  the  liberality  of  the  respective  manufacturers  of 
the  above  machines,  the  college  received  them  both  as  dona- 
tions, for  which  its  officers  would  here  extend  their  most 
cordial  thanks.  Each  machine  has  its  peculiar  merits,  and 
speaks  well  for  the  energy  and  enterprise  of  the  manufac- 
turers. For  large  farms  and  extensive  crops  of  grain,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  M'Cormick's  reaper  is  unequalled  by 
any  other  in  the  world.  For  smaller  farms,  and  when  the 
difference  of  cost  would  be  an  item  of  importance,  the  iron 

6 


62  AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGE 

harvester  would  assert  its  claims.  As  a  matter  of  some  in- 
terest, it  may  be  stated  here  that  for  every  hundred  feet 
which  the  machine  advances  across  the  field  the  M'Cor- 
mick's  reaper  makes  264.7  strokes  of  3.75  inches  with  its 
knives,  making  82.7  feet  of  lateral  motion  to  100  of  the 
longitudinal  or  forward  motion  of.  the  cutting  edge. 

The  Iron  Harvester  in  the  same  distance  makes  132.8 
strokes  of  6.6  inches  each,  making  a  total  of  73.3  feet  late- 
ral for  100  of  horizontal  motion.  The  lateral  motion  of  the 
former  is  12.8  per  cent,  greater  than  the  other  for  the  same 
velocity  of  the  machines. 

Fans  for  Cleaning  Grain. — One  patented  by  Cyrus  C. 
Crain,  of  Addison,  Steuben  County,  N.  Y.,  proves  a  very 
superior  article;  superior  even  to  the  climax  machine  which 
has  proved  an  excellent  one  wherever  used.  It  is  adapted 
to  cleaning  clover  seed,  and  to  removing  rye  from  wheat, 
and  for  all  the  purposes  of  a  grain  fan,  it  is  worthy  of  the 
patronage  of  farmers.  These  fans  are  for  sale  at  Miles- 
burg,  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania.     Price  $28.00. 

Horse  Rake. — This  is  a  common  iron-toothed  horse-rake 
differing  from  others  principally  in  having  springs  to  keep 
the  teeth  down  when  in  operation.  It  works  well,  and  is 
manufactured  by  Fred.  Bletz,  of  Columbia,  Lancaster 
County,  Pennsylvania. 

An  Ericsson  Hot- Air  Engine. — This  is  an  engine  with  a 
piston  thirteen  inches  in  diameter,  and  eleven  inches  stroke. 
It  is  used  to  throw  water  through  about  1,000  feet  of  pipe 
to  an  elevation  of  ninety  feet.  It  has  been  in  use  for  two 
years,  and  has  worked  very  well,  throwing  water  when  in 
operation  at  the  rate  of  from  ten  to  sixteen  barrels  per  hour, 
at  an  insignificant  cost  of  fuel.  It  is  very  easily  managed, 
any  careful  student  being  able  to  take  entire  care  of  it. 

Other  Implements  and  Machines. — There  is  a  large  assort- 
ment of  all  kinds  of  farming  implements,  &c,  on  hand, 
such  as  are  required  for  the  extensive  operations  of  a  farm 
of  400  acres,  with  gardens,  nurseries,  hot-house. 


OF   PENNSYLVANIA.  63 

Conclusion. — It  is  the  design  of  the  officers  of  the  insti- 
tution, as  soon  as  practicable,  to  give  attention  to  the  raising 
of  improved  stock,  and  to  experiments  upon  the  value  of 
different  food  under  different  circumstances  for  fattening 
purposes,  as,  also,  to  have  suitable  arrangements  for  the  pre- 
servation and  use  of  liquid  manures.  As  yet  these  things 
have  been  neglected  to  attend  to  the  more  strictly  edu- 
cational department  of  the  institution.  It  is  hoped,  how- 
ever, that  they  will  soon  all  receive  their  due  amount  of 
attention. 


CORRESPONDENCE.  &c. 


The  present  session  of  the  Agricultural  College  of  Pennsylvania 
will  close  on  Wednesday,  the  18th  of  December,  1862. 

The  session  for  1863  will  open  on  Wednesday,  the  22d  of  Febru- 
ary and  close  about  the  19th  of  the  following  December. 

Persons  wishing  further  particulars  in  reference  to  the  College,  will 
address  Dr.  E.  Pugh,  Agricultural  College,  Pa. 


YC  21248 


